The Silent Girl
by LiveInLove
Summary: Without a friend to talk to except her mother. Gabriella struggles through what it is like to go through your life deaf. No one cares, or so she thinks. What happens when she finds someone who actually cares and knows her name? TxG
1. Chapter 1

**The Silent Girl**

**Disclaimer: I only own the plot not High School Musical characters.**

Gabriella Montez was silent. It's not that she couldn't speak, she just didn't choose to. She was afraid she would sound stupid – that people would make fun of her.

Everyday she went to a normal school with normal people and normal classes. No special treatment was given to her and because of this, she struggled. Don't get me wrong, she was an excellent student. In fact, she got straight A's, with a lot of hard work of course.

Gabriella worked day and night to get the grades she got. Every single morning she would go for extra help. The teachers would write what they want to say on the board, and she would copy it.

Everyday she would hand in her homework and pray she was doing the right thing. She had no friends. Everyone in school would refer to her as 'the silent girl,' or 'the girl who doesn't talk.' She didn't even think they knew her real name, or even though she couldn't hear, she longed for friends that would accept her.

In gym when her teacher game some instruction, Gabriella didn't know what she was doing. She would follow what everyone else was doing. When she tripped or missed the ball when playing volleyball – no one would help her up or pat her on the back, saying, "Good try," or "Don't worry, you'll get the next one."

Her life was life was the same old same old. Her mother shook her awake at 5. She got in the shower at 5:20, got dressed at 5:30, ate breakfast by 5:45, and finally arrived at school at 6:00. The teachers came in early for her. They helped her with what she learned the day before and go over what they would do in class.

Though it was a struggle she did it. On weekends she and her mom went shopping. Her mother was the only friend she had. They made sure to text each other throughout the school day. It was hard not having anyone to talk to at school or not having anyone wanting to sit next to you just because you were a little different. Then again we are all different in our own ways.

Today she walked through the hallways waiting for her cell phone to buzz. Instead of wondering if that red bell was ringing, she set her own alarm for five minutes before the actual bell would ring. Groups of people passed her by without so much as an acknowledgement. People often bumped into her on a daily basis without an apology.

Gabriella skillfully unlocked her locker and stuffed her afternoon books in. She looked in the mirror that was hung on the inside of her locker. Though no one noticed her at school, self pride was very important to her. Despite what everyone else thought she still tried her hardest everyday to look some-what decent. To herself she was beautiful, and you know what? That was all that mattered.

She felt that familiar buzzing in her back pocket and closed her locker. Making her leisurely walk to Homeroom, she passed by tons of kids ranging from nerds to jocks. She didn't fit anywhere. If they did, no one would accept her. She tried. Gabriella was by no means stupid. She knew what people said about her. She could read lips to an extent. The thing that killed her the most was that teenagers could be so mean sometimes. People who didn't even know her and they judged her

As she entered the room, she took a seat in the back like always. No one lifted their heads from the conversation they were in when she walked in. No one bothered to include her.

Gabriella waited for her cell phone to give her another signal to leave this classroom. Taking out a notebook, she started to doodle on the cover. It was something she had often found herself doing in this classroom. While everyone else was socializing, she was excluded and left to find some way to pass the time.

Checking her cell phone, she found a new text message – from her mother no doubt. She was the only one who would talked to her, or had her number for that matter. Her father had passed away when she was seven, so her mother was the only one in the house to talk to. Don't get me wrong, she loved her mother with all her heart, but sometimes you just need another person.

_To Gabi:_

_I hope you're having a great day._

_How did your report go? Did your teacher like it?_

_I want to know all about it!_

_Love you!_

_From Mom_

A smile formed on her face as she texted her mother back. At least she cared.

_To Mom;_

_It only started about ten minutes ago._

_I give my report next period and I am dreading it._

_You know my English teacher hates me._

_Tell you about it later. _

_G2g to English_

_Wish me luck_

_Xoxox_

_From Gabi_

Once she slipped her phone back into her pocket, she stuffed her notebook back in her bag and slung it over her shoulder and took a deep breath. Next was English class. The class she always dreads. Gabriella didn't know why, but for some reason her teacher didn't like her. How could a teacher not like a person who stayed quiet through their class? The only one who didn't gossip he hated.

She had to work very hard in that class to get her A, unlike everyone else who passed easily. He never smiled at her or went easy on her for that matter. Still, she sucked it up and made the most of it. That was all she could do. He of course was the only teacher that made her sit up front. Almost as if he needed to keep an eye on her to make sure she wasn't cheating.

Walking into Mr. Riley's room, she took her seat quietly at the front. Reaching into her backpack, she took her report out and placed it on her desk. The title, The Great Gatsby, and six pages long doubled spaced. The teacher always started class on time no matter what. It seemed like he hated teaching and wanted to get through his class as fast as possible.

There weren't many kids in this class. While most English classes had about 20 or 25 kids, this one had about 11. No special reason, just luck. At least she didn't have to deal with twenty people staring at her.

One by one the kids presented their reports. She always had gotten excused from things like this. No one ever heard her talk. There was one good thing that came out of being deaf. You didn't have to listen to people giving 10 different reports on the same topic. She watched as the teenagers spoke, reading their lips as much as possible.

The reports went by quickly. Each person not taking more than seven or eight minutes each. Just as the teacher was about to continue with the lesson, the boy who sat next to her got up from his seat and stood in the front of the class.

"It's not fair that _she_ never has to present. _She_ gets special treatment for everything." It wasn't hard for Gabriella to figure out what he was saying. The angry boy pointed while he talked.

Gabriella's face turned a light shade of pink. This had never happened before to her. It hurt her that he didn't even know her name. He announced her as if she was just a thing not a person.

Gabriella watched as the teacher motioned her to stand up front. It was proven true. The teacher hated her. He wanted to see her suffer. Her hands were shaking as she obediently listened to the teacher. She faced kids starting at her.

"I..uhh," Everyone was laughing at her. She was afraid of this. She scanned the four rows of students, laughing, smirking, laughing, pointing and laughing, smiling, sincere, laughing. Wait a minute. Her eyes scanned back to the only person not making fun of her. His eyes were a deep shade of bright blue. His hair was a golden brown.

She took a deep breath and began to get ready to try again.

"Mr. Riley, I forgot to mention. Gabriella is needed in the office." Gabriella was startled as this boy grabbed her hand and rushed her out of the room. She had been looking at her paper again and not at him, the one who had just saved her from complete embarrassment.

What she didn't know was that he knew her name and frequently watched out for her from time to time.

**Well, I know it's a bit different from what I normally write, but I would appreciate it if you guys will back me up on this. I decided to try something new. Please Review**


	2. Chapter 2

The Silent Girl

**I would just like to thank everyone for reviewing! I am glad you guys like the idea! **

Once the two teenagers were far away from the classroom, they gazed at each other both not knowing what to do. This boy stood right in front of her looking concerned. His lips played a soft smile, while his eyes were full of sadness.

Gabriella's eyes fell to the floor. Gabriella was confused as to what happened. One minute her hands were shaking while she tried to attempt to read out loud, and the next she was pulled out of the room, by Troy Bolton. Yes, despite the fact that people didn't know hers' she still knew theirs.

How could you not know Troy Bolton? He was the most popular, well-known guy in school. Troy was the guy who had loads of friends, unlike Gabriella who had none. Despite the fact that he was worshiped by every girl in the school, he had three girls who he called his best friends, Kelsi, Taylor, and Sharpay. As for his other friends, he had Chad, Zeke, and Ryan.

Kelsi was the composer or playmaker as he called it, Taylor the brainiac, Sharpay the drama queen, Chad the clueless one, Zeke the baker, and Ryan the follower of his twin sister Sharpay. Now you may ask how in the world these teenagers who are so different are friends. Let's just say it all started with sharing their crayons in their first day on pre-school.

Troy Bolton lived, dreamed, and breathed basketball. Coach Bolton, his father drilled him even at home to practice. By sophomore year he became the youngest teenager to be the captain of the wildcat basketball team, number 14 to be exact. Don't get me wrong, there were other things that were important to him. He always felt that family came first and that friends and family shouldn't be taken for granted.

Most people tagged him as the popular one who slept around with every girl he wanted. The truth was he never said, 'I love you' to anyone he had ever dated. Troy felt that it was something that couldn't be taken back and shouldn't be wasted.

Still, the one who stood in front of her seemed nothing like the big shot she was used to seeing. Then again when people aren't in their normal surrounding, or without his followers in his case, they always seem different.

Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a small notepad and a pen. Flipping it open he began to write, the smile never leaving his face. Using his index finger, he gently raised Gabriella's head so his eyes met his. He could see the fear in her eyes. Partly because she had no clue as to why the most popular guy would be talking to her let alone saving her when he could have had a good time laughing.

Gabriella's eyes grew wide as she read what Troy had written.

_Are you okay, Gabriella?_

There it was as plain as day and written in ink. About a thousand things were running through were head. How did he know her name? How did he know to write it down for her? Most importantly, why did he care?

She was shocked to say the least. She never had someone care for her at school before besides a few of the teachers she had. Gabriella never experienced what it was like to have a friend at school.

It took her a while before she realized she had been staring at the paper for about two minutes straight without moving a muscle. She nodded her head slowly and grabbed the pen he was handing her. Her hand writing was quick and neat. Gabriella was used to this.

_What happened? One minute everyone was laughing at me and the next you brought me out here._

Times like these she wished she wasn't so oblivious. Never once did she wish she wasn't deaf and never once did she ask her mother why she was. Gabriella always thought that god had something special planned for her. He made her like this for a reason so why make a fuss.

As for Troy, he knew. He knew the first day she came to school in sophomore year. For a year he watched her sit with different people and smile as she passed everyone in the hallways. Troy noticed how she never talked. He heard what other kids said about her. He had heard all the names they had called her. People who didn't understand, didn't know were arrogant. That's what Troy always thought.

He thought about the best way to explain it to her before he wrote it down. His handwriting wasn't the neatest, but it was still legible. It took him a long time before he actually got what he wanted to down on paper.

_Well, you looked really uncomfortable up there, so I told the teacher the office needed to see you. Now we have about twenty minutes to do whatever we like and you don't have to worry about those ignorant kids in the class. Don't listen to them._

Gabriella couldn't quite pin-point how she felt as she read these words - words that were so simple to a normal person, but meant the world to her. To her it meant that someone was finally willing to be a friend, to care about her. Still, she had no expiereience. Other than giving a friendly smile, what more could she do?

Troy would get tired of her. Tired of writing on that small piece of paper, and tired of not having someone who could talk like a regular person. He was going to get frustrated with her with she took a long time to write what she wanted to say. He would get annoyed with her that no matter what, she wouldn't talk in front of him, in front of anyone.

This was all knew to her. She didn't know how to go about doing this, but she tried it anyway. If he left, then he left. It wouldn't surprise her. Not once did she feel comfortable doing what she was about to do. Her hands shook as she wrote it on the small pad of paper. Troy showed no signs of impatience, which Gabriella was glad for.

_986-555-4630_

There it was. She stared at it before she gave it back to him. The last thing she wanted to do was scare him away. This was something that was very private to Gabriella. Only her mother would text her on her phone - the only person that cared enough to talk to her. Now she found someone who showed that they cared about her, and she was trying to let him in too.

Handing it over to him, a big smile formed on his face. Gabriella watched as he flipped the pad closed and took the pen out of her hand. He checked his watch before her turned on the balls of his feet.

Well, at least she gave it a try. A tear slipped from her face as she saw him disappear around the corner. She regretted giving the small piece of paper to him. It scared him off. Feeling a small buzz in her pocket, she took it out. Silently groaning, she turned around and headed towards Chemistry. It was her favorite class with her favorite teacher, but she just didn't feel like going after what happened. How could she be so stupid? The first person who seemed interested, and she had to scare him off by giving him her number.

The hallways were full with students by the time she was halfway to her class. She wiped another tear that was cascading down her face before entering the class room. Gabriella walked to the back and sat down. Reaching down, she pulled out her binder and a pencil and waited patiently for the class to start.

She knew what Mr. Lind was teaching. He had taught it to her this morning. Plus, it helped that she excelled in this class no matter what. This class was easy to her. Mr. Lind drowned on and on about the factor label method while she took out her cell phone. This was something that the teachers had granted her permission to use as long as her grades were up. She needed her mom. She needed to talk it out with her best friend. She needed to know what she did wrong. Her fingers flew over the keys as she began to type.

_To Mom:_

_Mom, right ever everyone was done giving their report, on kid made a scene about how I never have to do anything. Mr. Riley made me stand up and read. I tried, but I couldn't do it. I stumbled a few times. Everyone was laughing at me. It was horrible. The all of a sudden this boy named Troy Bolton whisks me out of the class room. _

_From Gabi_

Thinking about what happened, made her feel only sadness. Troy was a nice guy, she just was too forward.

One that familiar buzzing came indicating a response, she opened her cell phone. It was too early for a response from her mother. Staring back at her was a number that was unfamiliar to her. Gabriella opened the new text message, her jaw dropping in the process.

_To Gabriella:_

_Hope you're ready for gym, Gabriella. It's tennis today and there's no way my friend isn't going to be my partner. _

_See you then,_

_Troy_

_From: 647-555-2657_

Gabriella's face was priceless. Her smile seamed like it reached up to her ears. In gym, when ever Coach said to get into partners, she would always play with the teacher. No one had ever asked her to be their partner before. What surprised her the most, was the one word in the second sentence – friend.

**Thank you guys so much for the reviews. It means a lot to me. I hope every one had a Happy Holidays and I wish you all a happy New Year! **


	3. Chapter 3

The Silent Girl

**Gabi's Pov:**

For me, Chemistry went by in a blur. All throughout class my mom was begging me to bring Troy home, but I don't think that's such a good idea. I just got this friend and I don't want to loose him. Gosh I act like I am still in kindergarten. I call this boy my friend, know nothing about him what-so-ever, and still want to spend every single moment in him.

Whenever someone is even remotely nice to me, they end up only being my friend because they feel sorry for me. That's right, poor little Gabriella who can't hear. She must have no friends, go to some special school, and can't do anything for herself.

The truth is they always end up being wrong. I go to a normal school and excel with high honors, not because people here feel sorry for me, but because I bust my ass every single day to get the grades I get; and as for doing things for myself? I can do anything. When the doorbell in my house goes off, the lights blink. My phone is always on me on vibrate, and as for music? Well, I can read music. Believe it or not, I am a fast learner. Up until about an hour ago, they would be right about having no friends. Well, besides my mom of course.

I could tell Troy isn't like that. He wasn't here to pity me or become my friend and then leave so everyone could laugh. If he wanted to do that, then he wouldn't have saved me in the first place. He wouldn't have made the effort to make sure I was ok after class. He wouldn't have asked me to be partners with him. Troy wasn't just some jock that cared only about his status.

My cell phone vibrated in my pocket, jolting me out of my day dream. I grabbed my belongings and walked out of the class.

The next few classes went by slowly. I aced my Math test, finished my homework in History, and visited my teachers at lunch so I could sleep late tomorrow morning. Getting up so early was starting to take a toll on me. I was getting drained before even the end of school.

I waited patently for my next class. I watched the clock as it ticked. Thirty seconds left. Thirty seconds until I would meet Troy. Ugh what am I saying? I'm only friends with this guy for what four hours, and already I'm dependant on him?

Finally, my phone buzzed. I was nervous to tell you the truth. He would probably be surrounded by his closest friends. Grabbing my belongings, I walked out of the classroom, but not before bumping into someone. When he lifted my chin up, I gasped.

"Whoa, you alright there?" I was staring into a sea of blue. I nodded and smiled at him. I guess I won't have to worry about walking to gym alone. The walk to the gym was quiet, but you know what? It was perfect. No words were needed.

Opening the gym door, we found all of his friends waiting for him, no surprise there. I don't know why I was afraid of them before. They had nothing but welcoming smiles on their faces.

Troy led me over to them and introduced me. I read his lips as he spoke. Not once did he tell them I was deaf. Did he forget or was he just trying to be nice? I watched them leave m side and walk behind each one of them, introducing them as they went along.

"So, Gabriella, are you going to play tennis with us?" The bubbly blonde said, who I think if I remember correctly was Sharpay. It took me a long time to figure out what her lips read because that girl talks fast.

I nodded and smiled.

"I have a new pink tennis outfit you could wear. It will go great with your shoes!" My eyes grew wide and I looked towards Troy.

"Sharpay, Gabriella isn't your new Barbie doll." I laughed. I liked how he looked right at me as he talked. He didn't want me to be left out of the conversation, which was nice. He proved to me that he wasn't going to talk about me behind my back.

"Do you want to be my partner?" A shy African American stepped up to me. Troy introduced her to me as Taylor. She spoke nice and slowly, which was good for me. It made my life a little easier. What was I supposed to do? If I pulled out my notebook and started writing, everyone would think I was weird. If I just smiled and didn't answer then they would probably ask me again. I looked at everyone waiting for my response.

I gazed at Troy as I reached my hand into my backpack. Thankfully, before I could even find it he opened his mouth.

"Sorry Taylor, but I beat you to it. She's mine." I smiled at Troy's answer and nodded to Taylor.

By the looks of it, the coach blew his whistle and loud, because every covered their ears with their hands.

Troy ever so gently placed his hand on my shoulder and walked with me. I thought we were headed towards the locker rooms to change, but instead he took me to the coach. I didn't make the connection before, but now I clearly saw it. Even if the coach's last name didn't give it away, it would still be obvious. The striking baby blue eyes, the light brown hair, the tallness. He was a Bolton. He was Troy's father.

Since Troy was behind me looking at his father and not me, I didn't get to see what he had to say. He was probably telling his father that from now on, Coach wouldn't need to be my partner. That's right. I had friends. Wow, does that feel weird. I have never been able to say that.

Words couldn't explain how grateful I was that Troy's friends accepted me. To tell you the truth though, Sharpay did kind of scare me. She's nice, but I can tell she's the type of person to spend all day at a mall.

Looking back up at Coach Bolton, I found him smiling at me. He patted his son on the back before looking over at his attendance list. Troy raised my chin so my eyes would meet his.

"I'll be right out here when you are done. Taylor, Kelsi and Sharpay are already in there."

He spoke nice and slow for me, but I didn't want to know the rest.

My eyes dropped to the floor. Tears gathered in my eyes, threatening to spill over. My hand fumbled as I reached for my cell phone.

_To Troy:_

_Please, I can't go in there. I always change in the bathroom. The last time I went in there was the first day of school. Since there isn't a teacher in there, they all laugh and make fun of me. Troy, please, I just can't._

_From: Gabriella_

I sent the text and wrapped my arms around myself. Just thinking about the humiliation that was yet to come was enough. My eyes stayed focused on the floor as he read my message.

As much as I didn't want him to, he raised my chin once more. I felt the pad of his thumb, wipe away my falling tears. With in seconds he had my frail body in his arms. His hand stroked my long auburn hair.

This was new to me. Never once did I have someone care about me – other than my mother of course. My emotions felt like they were on a rollercoaster, and it wasn't stopping any time soon. Through all that has happened throughout the day, I couldn't handle it any long. I collapsed into his arms, crying. I was crying out of happiness, sadness, and a little fear.

**Troy's Pov:**

My eyes went wide as I read her text message. Some people just didn't have a heart. A mix of sadness and anger rushed through me. I wanted to beat up whoever laughed at her or said something behind her back. I felt an odd feeling of protectiveness towards her.

How would I be able to respond to this? There wasn't one thing I could say to her. I couldn't say it's ok or I know,' because I don't. I can't relate to this. I don't know how it feels.

There was only one thing I could do. I wiped the tears from her bloodshot eyes and pulled her into my arms. I felt her freeze a little and then relax. She never had a friend before, or even one that showed that they cared about her.

As she cried in my arms, I noticed that the gym was filling up. Teenagers around me were giving me weird looks, some even pointing and laughing. Me glaring at them, soon made them shut up. That was one of the perks of being a well- known and well-liked guy in the school.

Her cries soon became less and less now only admitting a hiccup now and then. Taking my phone out, I tried desperately to put the smile back on her face. I wiped her tears as she looked up at me. Her face was a light shade of pink.

_To Gabriella:_

_We have to get dressed otherwise I won't be able to beat you in tennis. Turn that frown upside down Brie._

_From Troy_

"You have nothing to be embarrassed about, Gabriella." I watch her eyes switch to my lips.

One of her hands ran through her gorgeous hair while the other reached in her pocket for her phone. As she read my message a smile spread across her face. One that I found I suddenly couldn't get enough of.

**Gabriella's Pov:**

My heart dropped once I finished reading what he had written me. He was probably right about beating me in tennis. That was one sport I had trouble playing. No matter what, I could grasp the concept of lining the ball up with my racket.

Most importantly, the thing that stuck out the most was the last word. That was a nickname that only my father was allowed to call me. Ever since he passed away I have always hated it when a close relative called me that.

For some reason, it seemed right with Troy. When he used that nickname, it seemed natural, not forced.

My eye was caught by one person. His group of followers were pointing and laughing by the door. I could just make out what his lips were reading. Something like, "Freak's got a friend."

I was so used to people calling me names, it didn't bother me anymore. I've learned to ignore and move on. It's bad that their lives are so pathetic that they have to make fun of mine.

I felt Troy's hand on my back, gently leading me out of the gym. Turning the corner, we stopped at the bathrooms. I looked up at him and he smiled.

"Go get dressed, Brie. I'll be right here when you're done." I nodded and watched him walk into the boy's bathroom before I walked into the girl's.

Not wanting to keep him waiting, I tried my best to hurry. I slipped on shorts and a Wildcat t-shirt and stuffed my clothes in my bag. Thankfully the bathroom door connected to the locker room, so I stuffed my bag in a free locker and walked back out.

Sure enough, Troy was right where he said he would be. He was changed too. He walked with me, while I was worried about making a fool out of myself.

We found the gym to be empty as we walked through to go outside to the tennis courts. Most of them we found were taken. Well all of them except one, the one that all the basketball players use. Great, just great.

After taking the racket that Troy was handing me, we walked onto the court. They stopped and stared at me. Troy never once acknowledged them; he kept his eyes on me.

I was worse than I thought I was. I missed every single ball, but never once did Troy seem upset. He gave me pointers as we went along including how to hold my racket, and how to swing.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the boys making fun of me, mimicking me missing the ball. Beginning to play again, I tried my best to use everything that Troy has been teaching me, but something stopped me.

The boys were throwing tennis balls at me trying to get my attention. One hit me on my arm while another knocked the racket out of my hands. Keep in mind these are basketball players. They spend the off seasons in the weight room. Tears came to my eyes as I held my arm with my other hand.

Looking up at Troy, I watched as he marched over to the one next to me. I could tell by his face that he was furious.

"If any of you pull a move like that again, then you're off the team. Behave yourselves, there is a lady in your presence." His lips moved fast as he grabbed the one who threw the ball at me by the shirt.

"And if you ever lay a hand on the girl what-so-ever, or throw anything at her again, well, let's just say watch out." His lips moved a lot slower now.

I wiped the tear falling from my face right before Troy started walking over. He's going to think I'm weak because I'm always crying.

Ever so gently, he lifted my sleeve up. Sure enough a nice big bruise was forming. I watched as he closed his eyes. He placed his cold hand over my swollen arm. The coldness eased the pain away.

My hand flew up to his face. I touched right beneath his eye wanting them to open, which thankfully he did.

"Thank you," I mouthed to him.

"For what? I didn't do anything." I read his lips quickly and shook my head. Taking my cell phone out, I began to type away.

_To Troy:_

_You stood up for me, something I can't do._

_From Gabriella._

I waited patently for a response. As I waited I noticed his anger slipping away. His face was no longer red.

Troy reached for his cell phone with one hand. Thankfully, he kept the other one secure on my arm.

The phone buzzed in my hand. My stomach dropped at his response.

_To Gabriella:_

_Just wait Brie. I'll get you to talk. Soon you will stand up for yourself and show those guys what you're made of. I know you can do it and if it takes all year, then so be it. I'm determined. You're not getting rid of me that easily._

_From Troy_

At those words I knew I would have nothing to worry about. I will ask him to come over my house and he will say yes. I just know it.

**Well, review and tell me what you think. If you guys want to see anything in the story please tell me. Don't worry the gang will be more in the chapters coming up!**


	4. Chapter 4

The Silent Girl

**Ok before I begin, I have been getting a few emails/reviews about people telling me to read their stories and review. Believe it or not, who ever reviews, or adds me as a favorite, author, story, etc, I go to everyone's profiles and look at their stories. I am not the one to review unless a story is so horrible I can't read it. I also review if your story is outstanding. If I don't review your story, don't take it personal, take it as a complement. I like your story if I don't review. I just don't have the time to review everyone's story with all of my stories that are in progress. So please don't ask me to review your story, odds are I have already read it. It may not seem like it from this little blurb, but I really am I nice person, I swear. ******

**Gabriella's Pov:**

I stared up into his sparkling blue eyes and smiled. If he was going to be up for the challenge, then so was I. It's not that I didn't want to talk, I was just afraid of what people would say. I can't hear myself, so I don't really know how I sound, or if I'm pronouncing everything correctly for that matter.

I felt him take his cold hand off of mine. For a minute, I forgot my pain. It was as if his hands were magic. Looking down at my arm, I found nothing but redness. The swelling went down, but you could still see the outline of the tennis ball.

He grabbed my hand in his, and we walked off the courts never once looking back at the other basketball players. I could tell he was still mad by the way he was biting the side of his cheek. Not really knowing what I was doing, my thumb grazed gently over the back of his hand. In my own attempts, I was trying to calm him down. Any other person would talk it out, but not me. I'm different.

Sparks flew throughout my body when I felt him squeeze my hand. Raising my head, I saw him smile. He led me into the gym, since we only had five minutes left. Secretly, I was happy. I wouldn't have to rush in the locker room to get changed. No one would be there to point and laugh at me either.

"Go get changed, and meet me out here." I read his lips and nodded at him.

While I was getting dressed, I kept thinking about what I would say to him. Would he even want to come to my house? If he did what would he do, stare at each other? It would no doubt be awkward, plus, my moms going to be there. My first friend and my mother will be all over him.

It's not like we could watch a movie, or talk. We wouldn't be able to watch TV either. Well I guess he could.

Grabbing my backpack, I closed my locker and walked out. There was only a minute left of school, and I didn't want to be here when the class got back.

**Troy's Pov:**

I watched as she slowly walked out of the locker room. Her eyebrows creased looking as if she was in deep thought.

Taking out my cell phone, I began to type.

_To Gabriella:_

_You ok?_

_From: Troy_

Smiling, I watched as she reached quickly around her pockets to find her phone. Her hand twirled around one of her curls as she read my message. I waited patiently for her to type back. It seemed as if she was having trouble responding to my answer. Her hands kept pausing over the small buttons as she typed. Maybe there really was something wrong. Maybe her arm was still hurting her from before. I made a mental note to get her some ice as soon as I could.

_To Troy:_

_I don't want to scare you off Troy. It's nothing._

_From Gabriella_

Did she really think it's possible to scare me off? I looked into her chocolate eyes and smiled. Shaking my head I began to respond.

_To Gabriella:_

_Try me_

_From Troy_

Looking around me, I noticed that the gym was beginning to fill up. Sweaty kids began rushing in, trying to get out as soon as possible. My teammates, if I could even call them that, stared at her. I would make sure that today at practice, they would regret it. Apparently, they didn't learn their lesson from before.

Sharpay, Taylor, Kelsi, Chad, Ryan, and Zeke, all came over to us. By the looks of it, they were already changed. Sharpay had a huge smile of her face, which made me a littler nervous. I watched her as she came up behind Gabriella and hugged her. Gabriella got scared when she felt someone suddenly hug her. Once she saw it was Sharpay, a huge smile played on her lips. Her smile was contagious. I just hope that someday I can hear that voice of hers; it probably was as beautiful as her.

"Please let me take her shopping, Troy. I no one else wants to go with me and I can buy her so much clothes. She can be my shopping buddy now." Gabriella was unfazed by what Sharpay said, probably because she was busy typing back to me and not looking at her lips. I shook my head at Sharpay.

"There is no way am I going to let you corrupt her. I'm not going to make her spend a whole day in the mall." Sharpay's smile turned into a pout in a matter of seconds.

"I promise I will only spend four hours."

"Not today Sharpay, it's Friday, do it Saturday when you actually have a day. We'll all go." Wow did I just say that? Never once did I ever want to go shopping, especially with her. Gabriella was sure changing me – for the better of course.

"Find but we expect her tomorrow, tootles!" And with that, Sharpay was off along with the rest of them once they said goodbye to us.

My phone beeped signaling a new text message. Flipping it open, I stared at the words on the page smiling.

_To Troy:_

_I was just wondering, if you wanted to come to my house today. My mom kind of wants to meet you._

_From Gabriella_

I watched as she played with the hem of her shirt, waiting for a response. As I stared into her eyes, I shook my head no. Those eyes held nothing but sadness. Her mouth fell slightly open and she turned on the balls of her feet.

Grabbing her arm gently I turned her around. I held up my pointer finger, signaling for her to wait a minute.

_To Gabriella_

_First of all, I can't come with you to your house, because I have basketball practice, but I do plan to go after with you. That is if your willing to wait on the bleachers and watch as I torture my team._

_From Troy_

The frown on her face changed to a smile once she read her text message. The gym was filling up with my teammates – if you could even call them that. They were goofing around, flinging that ball at the basket, missing on purpose. Almost as if they were mocking her in this sport too. I'll let them have their fun. It won't be fun and games when practice starts.

_To Troy:_

_You really don't know how much this means to me. I would have expected you to run away in the first five minutes you met me. Most people get frustrated from me not talking. I would love to watch my friend on the court, but I don't know about my mom. I walk home, so she doesn't like me walking home at night._

_From Gabriella_

Putting my cell phone back into my pocket, I gently grabbed her phone out of her hands. She gave me a questioning look as I flipped through her contacts. Once I found the one that said 'mom' I pressed the green send button and held the phone up to my ear.

It rang a couple of times before someone picked up, probably because she was wondering why Gabriella was calling her.

"Hello?" Her mom's voice was soft, yet filled with worry.

"Hello Ms. Montez, this is Troy Bolton, Gabi's friend." My eyes stayed focused on Gabriella. I watched as he eyes stayed focused on my lips, wondering why in the world I was talking to her mother.

"Oh Troy please call me Marie! How are you? It's so nice to talk to you. Would you like to join us for dinner tonight? Oh I'm so glad she found a friend, Troy. Thank you so much," I could tell she was really excited.

"I'm good Marie, but if you wouldn't mind, I have basketball practice now and I was wondering if it would be ok if I drive her home about 5:30?"The smile on Gabriella's face couldn't get any bigger.

"Oh that would be great. I'm sure she'll have fun. I'm making lasagna, is that ok, Troy." Ms. Montez's voice sounded so welcoming. It was nice. Gabriella mouthed something to me, which thankfully I understood

"You don't have to go through any trouble for me. We'll see you in two hours. Gabriella says hi. It was nice talking to you."

"I'm so glad you called Troy, thank you." With that, she hung up and I handed the phone back to Gabi.

_To Troy_

_How did you know I didn't have a car?_

_From Gabi_

Her text message made me laugh. Was she really that oblivious?

_To Gabriella_

_Who do you think follows you home everyday, just to make sure you made it home safe?_

_From Troy_

Before I knew it, she was in my arms, hugging me. I wrapped my arms around her petite frame, and hugged her back. It's hard to believe how much being a friend really means to someone. Most people take it for granted, like they do a lot of things. To a person who didn't have any though, one friend can mean the world. Even a simple smile or hello can change a person's day. We stayed in that position for a long time. Neither one of us wanting to move, but we knew we had to. Taking her hand in mine, I walked her over to the bleachers. My teammates were still goofing off while we walked by them.

"I'm taking the team today, I'll meet you at home later," My dad was more than willing to give me a shot at being coach. He respected the fact that sometimes, I needed the team to myself. He especially wanted me to deal with them after what happened today.

"Don't go easy on them." He patted my back, gave me his clip board, and began to walk out.

"OK, GIVE ME 50 SUICIDES NOW AND THEN I WANT 50 LAPS AROUND THE GYM!" I yelled at them.

They groaned and then took off running. In the meantime, I walked back over to Gabriella. Picking up a basketball, I held it out to her. She shook her head and took out her cell phone.

_To Troy_

_They'll just laugh at me_

_From Gabriella_

**Ok so I am taking suggestions for next chapter. I hope you like it and please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

The Silent Girl

**Troy's Pov:**

If the team even had the guts to laugh at her, I would make sure that they would be off the team. If they didn't learn their lesson by now, then there is no hope. I really can't understand how people can be so cruel.

_To Gabriella;_

_I'll kick their buts if they do._

_From Troy_

I sent the message and watched the smile form on her face. I smiled back at her, glad that I finally put the smile back on her face. Watching as she slipped her phone back into her pocket, she stood up. I gently tossed her the basketball, which she caught easily.

No doubt Chad would cover drilling the team while I played basketball with Gabriella. I watched silently as Gabriella dribbled the ball in front of the basket.

She looked around her until her eyes focused on the basketball players running. They were too concerned about finished that they didn't even acknowledge Brie at the hoop.

She dribbled the ball a couple more times before lining the ball up with the hoop. The ball flew through the hair gently, slowly descending, hitting nothing but hoop. My smile couldn't have gotten any larger when the ball made that famous 'swoosh' sound.

Running over to her, I picked her up and twirled her around. I heard her laugh quietly. For some reason I wanted to hear that more. Her laugh was so soft and pure, it was addicting. Of course she probably didn't know if she was laughing quietly or loudly, so I didn't want to offend her by telling her to raise her voice.

She was finally making some progress. I tickled her sides gently just so I could hear the music again. Setting her on her feet, she smiled up at me. Within a second, her arms were wrapped tightly around my midsection squeezing me as if her life depended on it. I hugged her back with just as much emotion.

My thumb gently raised her head so her eyes met mine. "That was amazing! Where did you learn to play like that?" Her eyes shifted to my lips.

She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. There was something she wasn't telling me. I could see it in her eyes. Then again, if she wanted to tell me, I'm sure she would. The last thing I wanted to do was make her feel like she had to spill every little secret to me.

"You want to get out of here?" Not really needing to speak loudly, I lowered my voice.

Her face was showing only confusion. I watched her eyes scan the gym until they finally landed on the basketball players all spread out, lying down on the hardwood gym floor. Chad was dumping water on them, screaming until they started giving him thirty push-ups. I'm glad he isn't going easy on them. They don't deserve it.

"It's ok. It looks like Chad is doing a fine job. Plus, we don't want to keep Mommy Montez waiting."

She chuckled quietly again before untangling her arms from me. She walked over to the bleachers and retrieved her bag. I took it from her immediately, not letting her carry it.

The hallways were empty. Not a soul was to be found on our way to the door. To tell you the truth, it was kind of eerie.

Gabriella was exceptionally quiet. I could tell by the war her eyebrows furrowed, that she was thinking about a lot of things. When we got outside, I watched her as she silently followed the paved path, leading to the main road. It was my turn to be confused now. Where the heck was she going?

Running to catch up with her, I took her hand in mine to make her stop walking. She looked up at me and smiled.

"Where are you going, Brie?" She looked confused as she read my lips. Did she catch what I said?

She took out her cell phone and began to type quickly. Within a minute later, I got a response.

_To Troy:_

_Incase you have forgotten, that's how I get home. I walk. I don't have a car because my mom is too scared about me driving._

_From Gabriella_

Did she seriously think that? "Come on, from now on you never have to walk to or from school again." Her eyes went wide as she smiled and once again we were in a tight hug, not that I minded.

After leading her to my black range rover, I opened the passenger door for her. She smiled – her way of silently thanking me. I put her backpack on the back seat of my car before I got into the front seat.

For the most part, the drive was silent. Well, actually the whole drive was silent. Not a word was spoken from me, partly because I didn't hit a stop light where I could turn my face to her so she could read my lips. I didn't think she wanted to text me while I was driving either. It was fun though despite the silence. It wasn't the least bit awkward.

During the last few minutes of the ride home, Gabriella typed frivolously into her phone. It was probably to her mom to say we were almost there.

As I pulled into her driveway, I never realized how beautiful her house was. The outside was stone with a perfectly bright green lawn. It had a double garage with a four car driveway attached. It wasn't small, but it wasn't a huge mansion either. It was perfect.

Just as I was about to get out of the car I heard the familiar ring of my cell phone go off, signaling a new text message.

_To Troy:_

_I hope my mom won't scare you off. _

_From Gabriella_

I shook my head and smiled. Lifting her soft, delicate hand, I kissed the back of her hand assuring her that there was nothing to worry about.

**Gabi's Pov:**

I couldn't help but feel nervous as I took Troy's waiting hand after he opened the car door for me. First of all, I couldn't believe how calm he was being. It was like he already knew my crazy yet loveable mother.

I can just see it now. In a few minutes my mom will be attacking him with thousands and thousands of questions, not letting him answer any of them. I took a deep breath as we walked up the familiar steps to my house.

Before I even got to put my hand on the brass knob, the door opened revealing the overly excited Maria Montez. Not even within five minutes of our arrival was Troy in a death grip hug with my mother. I was half expecting him to just run out of the house once she let him go.

Once again I was proved wrong when Troy took his shoes off out of courtesy. They exchanged some verbal sentences which I didn't catch. Probably the usually how are you type thing. Troy put my backpack down on the right side of the steps before grabbing my hand, squeezing it gently, and following my mother to the couch. I took my phone out of my pocket and rested it on the glass table. My mom didn't like me to use my cell phone in the house. Now the interrogation begins.

My mom looked at me, still smiling like an idiot and signed, _'Troy's a cutie. He seems so nice!'_ I could have died right there.

Now he's going to feel left out because he has no idea what we're saying. Well, I was glad that he didn't understand that. Troy looked at me, smiling as I interacted with my mother. 'Mom please don't embarrass me. He's just a friend.'

Of course my mother seemed to not have seen what I signed and continued to talk to Troy. I watched Troy intently. He didn't seem the least bit frustrated with all the questions my mother was asking him.

I cleared my throat wanting to get my moms attention. She looked over at me and I started to sign to her. _'Mom, Troy and I have a lot of homework to do. Can we at least start some of it?' _

The truth was we didn't have any, but I wanted to get him out of there before my mom said anything about me talking to her at home. That was the main reason why my mom didn't like me using the cell phone in the house.

"Yes absolutely. You two upstairs and start your homework." She pointed to the stairs and stood up.

The whole time Troy had an amused smirk on his face when my mom said that we needed to do our homework. We both stood up. Troy walked over to the stairs to get my backpack while I walked over to my mom.

Her arms extended out towards me and I couldn't help myself. My mom encircled her arms around me. Even though she is an overly excited middle aged woman who sometimes embarrasses me, she is still my best friend.

"I have a friend Mami." I tried to whisper so only she could hear.

I couldn't hear the way I talked, but I knew I wasn't pronouncing everything correctly. I looked up at her and saw her smiling.

"I know baby girl, I know." I watched her lips carefully and soon that same stupid contagious smile was on my face too.

**Sorry it took so long, but I am finally finished with mid-terms. Review and tell me what you think about this chapter and what you want in the next!!!!**


	6. Chapter 6

The Silent Girl

**Gabi's Pov:**

My mother kissed my head before releasing me from her arms. I watched her walk into the kitchen, looking as happy as ever, before I walked over to Troy. Troy followed me up the stairs and into my room. Thankfully, the day before, I spent all afternoon cleaning it. Otherwise, well, it wouldn't have been a pretty site.

**Troy's Pov:**

When I walked into the room, I stopped and looked around. I liked it. It was simple, yet mature. She had beige walls with a light brown rug. The size of her room was another story. It was pretty big.

I chuckled to myself as I looked at the two closets plus a big dresser. Her covers to the king size bed matched the walls, which looked nice. I could just imagine her small body in that huge bed. She probably didn't even take up one quarter of it. Gabriella sat cross-legged on the bed.

She patted the seat next to her, smiling as she did so. Without hesitating, I laid down on the bed next to her. There it was again, her laugh filled the room. It was music to my ears.

We stared into each others eyes for a good two minutes before I spoke up. "You're going to have to teach me sign language." Her eyes grew wide as she smiled and nodded.

She lay down next to me; her hair sprawled out on the pillow as she did so. Her hair smelled so good, like a mix of strawberry and pomegranate. It was like a reflex when my arm went around her shoulders. It didn't know what I was doing, it just felt natural. She seemed to like it too by the way he heard found its way on my chest.

Without really noticing, I started to draw imaginary shapes on her back. Her hand almost immediately found its way into the pocket of my sweatshirt. I gave her a questioning look, but soon understood when I saw my silver phone in the palm of her hand. I watched silently as she flipped it open and began to type.

She held the phone up as soon as she was done. There was only one word on the page. It read, _'circle?'_ I guess I hadn't realized, but I had been drawing circles on her back.

I smiled down at her and gently took my phone from her soft hands. Now it was my turn to try something out. As clear as possible, I traced the letters out one by one. Every time there was a space I gently tapped her back.

It didn't take me long to write, _'How do you know when your mom is calling you for dinner?' _It was a bit much for her to decipher, but none the less, she did. I watched silently as he hand raised and then lay on my chest.

Flipping the phone open, I got ready to type. Lucky for me, she was going nice and slow. I can tell I need a lot of practice on this. When I finished typing it out, it made sense. The words read_, 'You'll see.'_ We stayed in that position for a while, reflecting on the day we had. I still couldn't believe that I finally had the courage to ask her to be my friend. I'm so glad I did, though. It's easy to see that she is one hundred percent happier.

We stared up at the ceiling both content for the moment. The lights started flickering about three or four times. I gave Gabriella a questioning look, but she only playfully rolled her eyes and grabbed my phone from me. _'Welcome to the world of the deaf.'_

I guess I had a lot to learn about her life. Wait a minute. I had everything to learn about her. Standing up, I held my hand out for her to take before starting out of the room. While walking down the stairs, I inhaled deeply. The smell was amazing, to say the least. I can tell that Ms. Montez is a great cook by the smell of it.

"Oh Troy, I hope you like lasagna. If not I can make you something else. I should have asked beforehand." I put my hand up to stop her before she got herself worked up any further.

"How did you know that lasagna was my favorite meal?" I gave her a reassuring smile before pulling Gabriella's chair out for her.

"Do you need any help Ms. Montez?" The last thing I want to do is make it seem as if I didn't want to do anything. Who likes someone that expects everyone else to do things for them? I am more than capable of helping out.

"Oh goodness, Troy, call me Maria and no thank you. You just sit down. I have everything under control." I nodded and sat down next to Gabi.

**Gabi's Pov:**

I don't think people realize how hard I have it. Watching Troy and my mom converse, I only felt sadness. I only saw one side of the conversation and it wasn't Troy's. That was the part that I wanted to hear. Well, see in my case. All I seemed to understand was that my overly excited mother wanted Troy to call her by her first name; not very interesting.

After my mom set the hot food on the table, she turned to me and signed, _'He's such a well-mannered man. I'm glad you two are friends.'_ I couldn't help but smile and nod.

I watched in amazement while Troy served me before serving himself. I don't think I could have come across a nicer guy. I smiled at Troy when he set my plate in front of me. Without asking him, he picked up ice filled glass and pointed to it. With my mother sitting right across from me, I knew I couldn't use Troy's cell phone. My mother liked me to practice talking at home since here was the only place where people didn't judge me. I shifted in my seat, hoping my mother didn't notice, and pointed to the pitcher of water in front of him.

Dinner I thought went smoothly, my mom was being relatively sympathetic to me, only asking me 'yes' or 'no' questions, which I would nod or shake my head to. Through out the dinner, Troy kept his hand interlocked with mine, squeezing it gently when my mother was trying to get my attention.

Dinner soon came to an end as it usually does at some point. Troy insisted on helping her wash the dishes, not taking no for an answer. I hopped up onto the counter next to him, watching him wash the dishes as my mother dried them. She of course always thought it was a waste of money to buy a dishwasher to make our lives easier.

I watched Troy skeptically as he gave the now clean dish to my mother and dipped his hand back into the soapy water. I gave him a questioning look. The rest of the dirty dishes were on the counter next to my mother. His movements were quick as all of a sudden he tapped my nose with the soap filled finger. I dropped my jaw at him, amazed at his playful attitude. He looked amused as he watched me stare at him.

He grabbed another dish and began to wash it. My mom of course, didn't notice, not looking up from the dish she was drying. Leaning over, I grabbed a fistful of his sweatshirt and dug my face into it, wiping off the soap bubbles in the process.

His sweatshirt smelled so good and I found myself staying in that position longer than I intended to. I wasn't sure whether it was his head or, if my own imagination was getting the best of me and he kissed, but I felt something. That, I wasn't imagining.

**Troy's Pov:**

Doing the dishes for Ms. Montez, I mean Maria, was the least I could do. She probably spent a long time cooking that wonderful meal we just had. Plus, I do it everyday in my own house for my mother, so why should I stop just because I wasn't in my house?

After I finished washing one of the dishes, I put my pointer finger in the soapy water. Gabriella gave me a questioning look as I raised it. Not wanting her to stop me, I quickly swiped her nose with it. Her jaw dropped, I guess not believing that I actually did that. I winked at her before going back to washing the dishes.

While still working on getting the plate sparkling clean, I felt Gabriella grab my sweatshirt, and burry her head in my sweatshirt. I couldn't help but chuckle quietly to myself.

Leaning over, I placed a kiss in her curls. It's still hard to believe that Gabriella accepted me as a friend. To tell you the truth I couldn't have found a better one. I knew we both felt completely comfortable with each other.

**Ok I hope you like it so far. Leave reviews please. Leave suggestions if you want!**


	7. Chapter 7

The Silent Girl

Gabriella's Pov:

I stayed in his arms for longer than I should have. He is probably thinking, _'why the heck won't Gabriella let go of me?'_ As much as I didn't want to, I released myself from his body. Suddenly I missed it. I missed it all. His scent was inviting, the comfort I felt when my head was on his chest, not to mention the warmth.

Swinging my legs slowly back and forth, I watched my best friend and mother continue to wash the dishes. That's right; he is my _best_ friend as of three hours ago. If he stayed this long in my house, I consider that to be a best friend.

Troy rinsed the last dish off and gave it to my mom to dry. He turned to me, his cobalt eyes brighter than I've ever seen them before. There was nothing holding him back now from leaving. The dishes were now cleaned and he met my crazy mother. There really isn't really much we can do without him getting bored.

Still, he stayed with me for this long and that in itself is more than I could ever ask for. "_Thank you!_" I mouthed to him. He smiled and winked in return. I almost lost it then and there. It's a good thing that I am sitting on the counter top at the moment, because my legs felt as if they were jell-o. Could he be anymore perfect?

Out of the corner of my eye I saw my mother signing to me, trying to get my attention. _'Why don't we all go in the living room and hang out for a while?' _

Finally, an idea coming from her that isn't actually crazy. Smiling widely, I jumped off the counter. Grabbing Troy's hand in mine, we started walking into the living room. This day has been so crazy; I think my mind is playing tricks on me. I could have sworn that I felt Troy's thumb gently rub the back of my hand. I didn't dare to look down in fear that I really was imagining it. I mean, why would somebody be interested in me? I'm the girl nobody would want. Who wants a deaf girl who only has one friend? Is this a gesture that normal friends do? In no way am I an expert on this. I'll have to ask my mom about it later.

Troy and I sat on the couch across from my mother. I watched with curiosity as she reached under the coffee table. She wouldn't do that do me! Wait, who was I kidding? Of course she would. In her hands, she held the brown leather photo album, the one with all my embarrassing days as a child.

My eyes widened as I read her lips. "Oh Troy, would you like to see Gabriella when she was little? She was the cutest thing." Please someone kill me now. I signed as fast as I could to her to try and get her to stop and put the book away. I tried my best to tell her I didn't want to scare him off or bore him to death, but no use.

My own mother acted as if she didn't even see me waving my arms around frantically like an idiot. Sometimes I feel as if I'm not being heard. No pun intended.

Troy's Pov:

I looked over at a frenzied Gabriella and her signing to her mother, what looked to be a bunch of mishmash to me. It was times like these when I wish I was able to understand sign language. Why was Gabriella so worried?

To tell you the truth, I wanted to see Gabriella when she was little. So for the first time against Gabi's wishes, I turned to Maria. "Please, I would love to see the pictures." I was surely going to get it later. How can anyone pass up the opportunity to see the prettiest girl I knew? The prettiest one and I got to call her my best friend. Could I be any luckier?

I couldn't help but watch in amusement as Gabriella fell back on the couch in a laying position. Her face was turning a light shade of pink in the process. My hand immediately went to her leg, rubbing up and down, silently telling her not to be embarrassed or worried.

Maria sat on the other side of my and set the book down on my lap, opening the thick front cover. Staring back at me was the cutest girl I have ever seen.

"That's Gabriella when at five years old when she was a fairy for Halloween." Little Gabriella had the same curls she has now, but they only reached her shoulder back then. She wore a pink leotard with sparkly white wings. I couldn't help but smile when I looked over at Gabi. She was peaking through her hands that were covering her eyes. _'Very cute_,_'_ I mouthed to her. I chuckled as I watch her turn a dark shade of red.

Keeping my right hand on her leg, I turned back to the photo album, only to find out that Maria had turned the page. The next picture was priceless.

"This is Gabriella when she was four years old in the bath tub. Wasn't she adorable? Right after that I remember her running around the house, not wanting to put her clothes on. She was a handful that one." Maria raved about her daughter, the huge smile never leaving her face. I laughed and nodded as I watched the expression on Gabriella's face. It is more of a, 'I can't believe this is happening to me,' look. My guess is that she is reading her mother's lips as Maria speaks to me.

Gabriella grabbed the nearest pillow and covered her face with it. I couldn't help but smile at her. Truth be told, I would have reacted the same way if my mother did this to me. And believe me she has. It was her way of getting rid of one of the girls I dated. Keep in mind that relationship only lasted a week. I found out she only liked me because I was the captain of the basketball team.

"I think we've embarrassed her too much." I kindly told Maria as I closed the photo album. It was then that I realized that she probably didn't view it as embarrassing. She probably saw it as showing off her daughter and how amazing Maria thought she is. It was obvious that Maria had no intention of embarrassing her daughter. She is just proud.

Reaching over, I took the pillow covering Gabi's face and put it to the side. Her eyes wouldn't meet mine. "How do you sign, you have nothing to be embarrassed about?" I asked Maria. Thankfully, she showed me the motions without hesitating.

Though it took a few tries before I got it down pat, it was worth it. Using only my index finger, I moved Gabriella's head to face me. I also wanted to get her attention without having to rudely wave my hand in front of her face.

Once she locked eyes with me I started signing to her for the first time. Her eyes widened as she watched my fingers swiftly move how Maria taught me. Not within a second after I was done, I was being tackled in a bone crushing hug. My arms wrapped around her small frame as she suddenly forgot about how embarrassed she was a minute ago. Plus, I don't think she really believed that I attempted sign language for her. I would do anything for this girl. Maybe this will be our way of communicating in the future. Of course it would have to take a lot of practice, but I was up for the challenge.

Sure we couldn't watch TV like regular friends, or go to the movies, but being regular is so over rated. Much to my disappointment, the hug came to an end. Gabriella looked over at her mom for the first time since this whole thing started. I'm glad that Maria talked while signed to Gabi. It made things a little easier for me.

"Look mija, I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted to give Troy a visual of how amazing you were and still are. I'm so proud of you, that I didn't realize what I was doing." Brie got up off the couch and gave her mother a hug. I loved how close they were. It reminded me of how I am with my own mother.

Once again Maria, signed while she talked. "Why don't the two of you spend some time outside on the hammock? It's Friday so you two don't have to be up early." Gabriella nodded her head enthusiastically and pulled me up from the couch.

"We have a group of friend at school who want to take Gabriella out shopping for the day tomorrow. Is that ok?" I asked her as I was being pulled away from her.

"Absolutely Troy and thank you." I smiled at her before I disappeared from her view.

Outside was beautiful. It was the perfect temperature for a summer night. Joining Gabriella on the hammock, I gently rocked us back and forth. Her head returned to her now favorite spot on my chest. My left arm went cuddled her body closer to mine.

As she stared up at the stars, I drew clear letters on her back. _'Favorite thing to do?'_ I decided to keep the sentences short.

I laughed when she gave me a one word answer, probably keeping thing easy for me – the newbie. _'read, you?'_ I smiled when I decoded the letters and made a mental note to get her a book. _'basketball'_ She smiled knowingly at me. _'color?'_ I drew on her back. Her hands flew up to my face. She gently traced my eyes with her fingertips and I understood.

Her hand flew back down to my chest hesitating before she wrote. _'Regrets of being my friend?'_ I had to think about this question for a minute. As soon as the summer breeze blew against us, it hit me. I held up my pointer finger, showing her I had one regret.

Her hand dropped from my chest and started picking at her clothes. She probably thought the worst. Pulling out my cell phone, I began to type my one regret. Lifting her head up, I handed her the phone with a one sentence answer.

_To Gabriella,_

_My only regret is waiting until the end of the school year to become friends with you._

_From, _

_Troy._

Ok, guys, you know the drill. Read and review and please leave suggestions for what you want to see in the next chapter. What do you want Gabriella's first words to Troy to be? The more reviews and suggestions, the faster the chapters come out. Hope you like it.


	8. Chapter 8

The Silent Girl

Troy's Pov:

The two of us talked well into the night. As the hours went by, we seemed to connect more and more. I just found Gabriella so interesting. She was really easy to talk to. We talked about anything and everything.

Apparently, she and her mom moved around a lot as a child. By the time she was ten, she had lived in four different states and six cities. While I was talking to her, I forgot all about her being deaf, it wasn't important anymore. We communicated just fine with one another.

When she told me about the time when her mom first found out about her disability, I had to think for a second. It was like a reminder. Talking or drawing on backs in our case, felt like any other person I would talk to. She was no different than anyone else. Why are people so distant from this girl who acts just like us?

I found out that Maria became worried about her daughter when Gabriella was a one year old. Little Gabi had yet to speak, which puzzled doctors. Sure she babbled, but no actual words came out of her mouth. For awhile, doctors even thought she was autistic.

When Brie told me what her mother told her; it broke my heart. Gabriella went on about how one night when she was one and a half, there was a huge thunder storm. Maria was confused as to why her daughter wasn't scared, like most kids would be.

Gabriella explained to me how Maria sat on the couch and called her name. Brie showed no signs of acknowledgement that she heard her mother's voice. Maria then tried yelling her name, but still no such luck. The next day she took Gabriella to the doctors to tell him, and well I know the rest.

She texted me the whole story, which I was very thankful for. Trying to decipher that whole story drawn on your back when you are still new at it is not easy.

I don't think she felt full comfortable with telling me about how she learned to talk, but in time I'm sure one day she will.

As for her friend status, there wasn't any. Most schools didn't want to have a kid with a disability, which I thought was strange. Don't most schools have that motto where no child is turned away?

I hugged her tighter as she told me about who her best friends were. Bunny, her stuffed lion, and the people she read about in books. Those books were there for her when others turned their backs. They were the ones who were in ink, not being able to be erased. They were there for good.

Her mother also played a big part in friendship. Early on, I learned that she and her mother had a friendship type of relationship. Don't get me wrong, she still acted like a mother when she needed to, but they were and still are very close.

So right now, I am sitting in the hammocks under the stars. She lay her head on my chest, while my arms wrapped around her body to keep her from getting cold. Taking one of my arms away from her, I pointed to the two brightest starts above us, which coincidently is directly above us. It means something; I'm sure, but what? I don't know. It is something though.

It is quickly getting late to my disappointment the night is quickly coming to an end. Gabriella is starting to fade quickly, her eyes drooping ever so slightly and her body becoming limp. For some reason, I liked it. I loved the fact that she felt comfortable with me. I loved the fact that she felt safe with me.

Caressing her soft cheek with the back of my hand, I tried to get her attention. Her eyes fully opened, her big brown eyes gazing upon mine.

"You need to get some rest. It's getting late and we have a long day tomorrow." She stared at my lips, reading them with ease, and nodded.

I chuckled when I saw her make no attempt to get up. Her head immediately flew back to my chest, pressing her ear to it. Her eyes closed and I felt her head press harder into me. I stopped laughing and she picked her head up. It's almost as if she was trying, or wanting to hear my laugh. I decided to let it go and stand up.

Reaching my hand out to grab Gabriella's, I pulled her up next to me. Walking back to the house, we took our time, both of us hand in hand. I was surprised to see Maria still awake and sitting on the couch watching T.V.

Looking up at the clock, I knew immediately that I probably over stayed my welcome. It was 12:36 and my parents were probably wondering when I was coming home. It's a good thing I remembered to text them earlier about where I was going.

"Thank you for everything, Maria. The food was delicious. I had a great time." I said to Maria. She looked up from her program and smiled. After she shut it off, she stood up and walked over towards us.

"I'm glad, Troy. You are welcome over anytime in this house, day or night." It's nice to know that I made a good impression.

"Thank you, I really appreciate that." Letting go of Gabi's hand, I walked over and gave Maria a hug. She is going to be seeing a lot more of me. She released me and retreated up the stairs, yawning as she went. Taking Gabriella's hand in mine for the last time tonight, I brought her outside with me.

Gabriella's Pov:

I'm not sure how this whole goodbye thing is supposed to go. Am I just supposed to mouth, 'See you tomorrow?' Is he coming to the mall with us tomorrow? Would he want to come with us? Do I mouth, 'I'll see you Monday?' Thousands pf questions were running though my head. We stared into each others eyes; I guess not knowing what to do.

My fears were soon calmed when he pulled me into his chest. I quickly forgot all my worries as I omitted his scent. Like a reflex, my face dug into his sweatshirt, not being able to get enough of it. I felt his arms wrap around me and I couldn't help but lock my arms around his neck and look up. I didn't want to miss anything if he was talking to me.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Brie. I can't wait." He played with my curls as he spoke to me. I nodded my head and smiled.

"Goodbye Gabriella." He said as he hugged me tighter before walking away.

It's now or never. I had to do this not only for Troy, but mostly for me. I had to get over my fear.

"Thank you Troy, for standing up for me when no one else did." He didn't even wait until I was done. His head whipped around and before I knew it, he was running to me. I knew it sounded far from perfect, but it didn't look like he cared.

Before I knew it, he was twirling me around in his arms. I couldn't help but let out a giggle, and enjoy this new feeling that was running through me. We stayed in that position for what seemed like ten minutes before he set me on the ground. His hand grazed my cheek, making my stomach swell with butterflies. What was happening to me? I felt his warm lips on my cheek and I couldn't help but smile.

"I'm so proud of you." He said after he pulled back.

I watched him get into his car and drive away. I took my eyes off of him only when his car was out of my view.

I was giddy as I walked back inside and closed the door. Nothing can beat the night I had. Racing up the stairs, I peeked into my mother's room to see if she was still awake. I still had to talk about the feelings Troy Bolton was giving me.

Finding her reading in bed, I entered and jumped on her bed. She smiled at me and put the books down.

"Mom, how do you know if someone likes you more than a friend?" My speech slurred. I hated when I spoke. I felt like I was saying everything wrong. It gets frustrating when you can't even hear your own voice.

"You'll know it." What kind of a response is that? Did I read her lips correctly?

"What are some signs?" I had to know if the leg touches, the hugging, holding of the hands, and kiss on the cheek meant something.

"You're asking about Troy, aren't you?" Was I that obvious? I sheepishly nodded my head after I saw what she said.

"Okay. Well, I see it in his eyes, the way he looks at you, the way he acts very protective of you, and the way he holds you. It's obvious and if I'm not mistaken, you feel the same way about him." My eyes widened as my mother said this. How does she know? Wait a minute, do I?

"How do you know about the holding part?" That worried me.

I watched as reached under the covers. My jaw dropped when she produced a small digital camera in her hands. My eyes flew back to her face.

"I have pictures. You'll thank me for it later" She said as she waved the small object in her hands.

Most children will ask, _"How will my mother embarrass me today."_ I however have to ask myself, _"How will my mother embarrass me this minute._

I hope you guys enjoyed it. Please review and leave suggestions. Also read What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl and My Rock! Thanks!


	9. Chapter 9

The Silent Girl

**Gabriella's Pov:**

Before entering my room, I went back downstairs and grabbed my cell phone. My day has been exhausting. I couldn't wait to go to sleep. Never in my life have I ever been so sociable. I don't think I have ever been to a basketball game before today let alone have someone come over my house who wanted to.

As I walked back upstairs, I checked in on my mom before I went into my own room. She lay quietly in her bed, sound asleep. I smiled and flicked off her light switch before closing the door behind me. Sighing as I entered the room, I threw my phone on my bed. I finally have a chance to use it besides texting to my mother.

Going over to my dresser, I pulled out an old grey t-shirt along with a pair of green sweatpants and threw them on my bed. Yawning, my eyes attempted to stay open as I took my earrings off along with my shoes. My jeans slid down my hips as I unbuttoned them. The green sweatpants saved my small frame from the cool wisps of air coming out of the air conditioning. Blindingly, I replaced my empire waist shirt with my baggy grey one. My clothes would just have to stay on the floor until the morning.

Walking over to my balcony door, I locked it and turned to face my bed. I froze immediately. Was it just my imagination or was Troy sitting on my rocking chair out on my balcony at one in the morning? More importantly, what did this mean? AS fast as I could I fumbled with the lock, trying to open it. I shivered as the cool night time air hit my skin.

There he was, sitting like a statue. His body looked almost as if it were carved by stone, an artist. He held a thick book in his hands, flipping through it mindlessly. By his feet, a medium size brown cardboard box lay. What was this boy up to?

As I closed the glass door behind me, he looked up. I could have died and gone to heaven right then and there. His lips held a smirk while his eyes looked amused. He held out his hand for me, which I didn't hesitate to grab for a second. A friend who scaled my balcony deserves at least my attention and time. I chuckled as he pulled me onto his lap. My feet curled up on his lap as my head rested against his chest.

"What are you doing here?" My voice was quiet; suddenly embarrassed in case the outside world might be listening in. My speech would be something I had to work on. Troy probably has a hard time understanding me.

I watched him silently as he reached behind him, producing a beige fuzzy blanket. He draped it over me before lifting my chin up so my eyes met his lips.

"I saw that piece of paper in your room. The one where you wrote down the books you've been meaning to read." I gave him a questioning look not knowing where he was going with this.

The piece of paper was clear in my mind. It had at lead fifteen books on it that I just never had the time to buy. He bent down and placed the box that was by his feet on my lap. I couldn't help but want to open it as soon as I got the chance.

He rocked us back and forth slowly as I took my time to open the box. No words could come out of my mouth as I gazed upon what was in front of me. Staring back at me were the fifteen books, plus a few extra I noticed as I looked through each one of them. Was I really that special for someone to do this for me? I fingered the binding of Wuthering Heights. I heard it was amazing but for some reason that one failed to get on my list. Troy must know me better than I thought because here it was right in front of me.

Resting the book back in the box I set it on the floor, still not believing he did this for me.

"Thank you so much, Troy," I said quietly.

Tears filled my eyes knowing that someone I just met cared for me so much.

**Troy's Pov: **

Her eyes filled with happiness as she turned her body on my lap. Her arms wove around my neck. I couldn't help but wipe her tears away and bring her closer to me. The simplest of things made this girl happy, which I was amazed at. I knew she would be ecstatic about getting even one book, but I couldn't help but get them all. I even managed to talk to the book keeper about similar books she would like according to her taste.

We stayed in that position until she fell asleep in my arms. I watched her peaceful face as she slept, me not wanting to move from my spot. If my mom knew I snuck out she would kill me.

As the temperature dropped due to the late hour, I wrapped the blanket tighter around her, forming a cocoon. She snuggled deeper into the blanket and that was when I knew I should take her inside.

Standing up with me holding her bridal style, I walked back into her bedroom. Pulling the covers back as gently as I could, I set her fragile body down, making sure she still had my blanket around her.

After tucking the covers around her, I kissed the top of her head and whispered, "Goodnight." I knew she couldn't hear me, but that doesn't make it any less important to say.

Walking back outside, I gathered the books and left the box outside. Just incase it rained, I wanted to make sure the books were safely put away on her bookshelf. Before leaving for the night, I quickly grabbed a pen and a sticky note from her desk and wrote a note. Placing it next her head, I have made sure she was warm enough before leaving.

As I walked back home I couldn't help but smile the whole way home. Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

**Gabriella Pov:**

I stirred in my bed from the feeling of my cell phone vibrating. It felt like it was only minutes ago when I fell asleep. My eyes adjusted to the light, squinting ever so slightly. I smelled Troy's scent, but he was nowhere to be seen. My eyes looked around until it landed on the bright pink note. I tried to lift my arms, but something was stopping me.

Looking down, I finally found the culprit. It was the blanket from yesterday. It was Troy's blanket. Wiggling my arms out of the cocoon he put me in, I grabbed the note off my bed. It read:

_Good morning Sunshine, _

_I had so much fun last night. Your books are on the second shelf of your bookshelf. Your running out of space, I might just have to get another one for you. We will be at your house at 11:30. _

_Xxx_

_Troy. _

I smiled as I read it note. It was so sweet of him. I waited an extra five minutes before getting out of bed. Looking at my red clock on my nightstand, I groaned. Was it already ten o'clock? I have no recollection of me ever sleeping this late.

Dragging myself into my bathroom, I took fifteen minutes to shower along with thirty minutes to do my hair and make-up. Looking in the mirror, I smiled. My hair was in loose curls cascading down my shoulders, while my make-up was light. Only eye shadow, eyeliner, and a little lip gloss was needed.

Waking out of my bathroom, the big debate began. What should I wear? Well I knew I wanted to be comfortable because we were going to be shopping, but I also wanted to look presentable. Looking towards my balcony, I noticed the sun shining through. It was going to be a hot day. I dropped my towel and slipped on a pair of underwear and my white jean shorts. What shirt I wanted to wear was an even bigger decision. What color t-shirt? Did I even want to wear a t-shirt? I thought about it for a minute going though each shirt I had before solving the problem. I pulled out a black spaghetti strapped tank-top and put it on.

I slipped on some diamond stud earrings before grabbing my black flip-flops, my money, and my phone and walked downstairs. Oh god, what I saw in front of me made my stomach swell with butterflies. I guess I was in the shower when the doorbell went off because my new friends sat in the living room with my mother.

As I've mentioned before, the lights in my room blink when he doorbell goes off or when I'm needed downstairs, but my mom failed to put the special lights in my bathroom. I was nervous as I walked downstairs. Everyone turned and smiled as I walked closer to them. I of course returned the smile and shyly waved.

Troy immediately stood up and took my hand. Everyone followed suit and said goodbye to my mother before waiting at the door for us. Troy gave my mother a hug while I gave her a kiss on the cheek. I was exited yet nervous. This would be the first time I hung out with friends. I shook my head at my mom as she slipped Troy a hundred dollar bill for us to shop.

"Mrs. Montez please that won't be necessary. I have plenty on me." He said as I put the money back into my mother's hands. Now he was going to pay for my clothes? Could this guy get any nicer?

"Troy, please I insist." She pleaded. I watched with amused eyes as the banter went on and on.

"_Fine I'll take it."_ I signed as I took the money from my mother's hands. I knew Troy wouldn't let me spend it anyway. It would just go back into my mother's purse later.

"Thank you baby" She signed to me. I rolled my eyes and grabbed Troy's hand. All seven of us walked out the door.

As we walked to the car, Taylor turned to me_. "Don't be too excited, shopping with Sharpay gets old after six hours." _She signed to me and my mouth dropped.

Well, I guess it's true. Everyone is full of surprises. I gave her the biggest smile and slipped my hand from Troy's to walk next to her.

"_You know sign language?"_ I signed to her.

"_I took a class when I was eight. It was really fun to learn so I continued until I was fluent."_ When those words flew out of her mouth, I couldn't have been happier.

"_You said she will shop for six hours?"_ I signed to her hesitantly.

"_Yea, but since you're here with us it will probably be longer. She will make sure you have a full wardrobe by the time we're done."_ She gave me a sympathetic look.

"_What did I get myself into?"_ I chuckled.

Walking back to Troy, I looked up at him and smiled. Taylor got into the divers seat of her mothers green minivan and get took the passengers seat. Troy and I climbed in the way back while Sharpay, Zeke, and Ryan took the middle. Taylor pulled out of the car and we began the twenty-five minute journey.

It gave me time to think. For some reason my mind kept going back to my friends around me. They were being so nice to me. I couldn't help but wonder if they were being nice to me because they liked me or if they were sorry for me.

**I hoped you liked it. Please leave reviews and suggestions if you want. What do you want to see in the next chapter? **


	10. Chapter 10

The Silent Girl

**Troy's Pov:**

We haven't even gotten halfway to the mall, and already Sharpay was droning on and on about which stores she wanted to hit first. So far there were about at least twenty stores on her list. I cringed silently inside as she talked about her wanting to find yet another dress and at least five for Gabi.

This was one time I was thankful Gabriella couldn't hear her. The minute she did, I knew she would be out of the car and running away in fear. I'm glad she finally has Taylor to "talk" to, though.

"Uh Sharpay, how long do you plan on staying at the mall?" I asked her, secretly afraid of her answer.

I watched as Sharpay turned to me and smiled. "I don't really have a set time, so we can leave when we get everything we need." Oh god, this could take forever. At least the mall closes at ten pm.

"Sharpay, you go shopping every weekend. How much clothes can one person buy. You already have four closets, and one of them is purely devoted to shoes. You don't need any more." I wrapped my arm around Gabriella when leaned back into my chest.

"There's always room for more, Troy. Gabriella's not complaining." Sharpay complained while pouting. I gave her a look telling her to 'shut up.' I'm sure if Gabriella spoke up, she would.

The rest of the ride was quiet for the most part. Sharpay was way too eager when we got out of the car. Though Gabriella and I walked hand in hand, Sharpay still felt the need to grab Gabriella's hand and pull her along. "Easy Sharpay she's a person not one of your personal Barbies." I said as I watched Gabriella give me a nervous look.

"Ugh Troy, come on, all the good clothes will be gone." It was natural for Sharpay to be dramatic. Most of us just ignored it.

"Somehow, I doubt that." I mumbled as we entered the mall.

Just as I suspected, it wasn't that crowded today. Laughing, I watched Sharpay let go of Gabriella's hand. Almost immediately she was by my side gripping onto my hand.

"Don't worry Brie, she scares us all." I told her once she looked up at me.

Walking into the first store, Chad, Zeke, and I took a seat on the chairs by the dressing room. This was going to be a long day. I was already tired, and we've been here for what, ten minutes?

**Gabi's Pov: **

Everyone was being really nice to me, especially the girls. The store department store we went into had everything from swimsuits, to dresses, to designer bags, to lingerie, and finally regular clothes. While I had maybe four or five things in my hand, Taylor had two, and Sharpay had Ryan trailing after her with his arms full of clothes.

Sharpay came up beside me and touched my arm, causing me to look up. "What size are you?" Normally my mom would ask me this when we went shopping, but for me it was a little odd when Sharpay asked me. I thought she was shopping for herself.

She was waiting for an answer causing my face to turn bright red. I would have to talk. There was no getting out of it. I frantically looked over at Troy. He was at my side in less than five seconds taking the clothes from my arms.

I looked back up at Sharpay only to have her repeat her question. "Gabi? What size are you?" I looked at the floor, which suddenly became more interesting to me. My fingers fumbled with the hem of my shirt.

Troy lifted my head so my eyes met his. "Hey, we are all friends. No one is going to judge you. Personally, I think you speak perfectly. I smiled up at him. He somehow knew exactly what to say to me.

"Uhm, in pants or shirts?" I said timidly.

"In everything." Did she want to shop for me?

"In pants I'm either a zero or one. In swimsuits and shirts, I'm a small." I think that's the most I have ever said to someone besides Troy or my mother.

"God your tiny, I'm so jealous." I couldn't help but smile when she said this. Never in my life has anyone been jealous of me. It felt good to know that people were starting to think of my as an actual person.

I watched with amused eyes as Sharpay piled more clothes into the already overloaded arms of her brother. I grabbed about two more shirts and a swim suit before walking over to the dressing rooms with Sharpay and Taylor. I was surprised to see that the dressing rooms were crowded. If we all went in the one, I knew we would keep everyone else from trying on their clothes. We had more clothes than anyone else had. The three of us occupied the large dressing room in the corner, while the boys sat outside ready to judge us. My eyes widened at the mound of clothes in front of me. While Taylor was trying on an orange sundress and Sharpay a pink shirt with white pants, I had no clue as to where to start. Taking a black dress from the top, I undressed and slipped it on. It fit pretty well.

Grabbing the price tag, I took a quick look at it. How can anyone spend 400 dollars on a simple dress? The three of us looked in the mirror critiquing ourselves and each other.

"Ugh I hate my hips." I saw Taylor say.

"I would kill to have your hips and trade you for my scrawny legs." Sharpay said as she lifted her dress up to show her legs.

I felt out of place. To be honest, I wouldn't change anything about myself. Me being deaf has made me stronger. I've learned to love myself to way I am. I watched as Sharpay pulled the curtain back. Troy smiled as he looked at me and mouthed, 'beautiful.' 'Too much,' I mouthed back.

This went on for about four more hours. Troy of course liked everything. There wasn't one thing he didn't like. This is the first time I have ever spent this long in the mall or in one store let alone.

**Troy's Pov:**

It was pushing 5pm and I knew Gabriella was getting tired. She has tried on over 100 shirts, at least fifty pairs of pants, and not to mention countless pairs of shoes.

"Shar, I think we should leave. I'm bored and Gabi's fading fast." I'm sure we aren't the only tired ones. Ryan had seven bags in his hands, I had three, Gabi had two, Zeke had four, Taylor had one, and Chad had two. The thing I found amusing was that Sharpay had yet to carry a single bag of hers.

"Troy it's still early, and besides we all need to a swim suit. We're having a sleepover tonight and I plan on taking everyone to the beach tomorrow." Sharpay whined.

All I could think about was Gabi and if she would feel comfortable with it. While everyone started to rummage through the racks for swimsuits, I ran my finger over the back of Gabriella's hand to get her attention.

She looked up at me and smiled. "Are you up for a sleepover at Sharpay's and going to the beach in the morning?" I watched as her face dropped for a moment. She shook her head, 'no.' "I don't want you to leave me by myself. Where will you be?" Her voice was low and scared as she spoke. I guess I didn't explain that very well.

"No Brie, don't worry I won't leave you there by yourself. We are all going to go. It will be really fun!" I watched as he face lightened once I said this.

"I've never been to a sleepover before." Her statement was short and simple. I smiled at her innocence.

"I'll go only if I don't have to buy a swim suit. I think I have a drawer full of them at home, plus I'm too tired to start changing again." I chuckled at her and nodded my head.

"How about you go pick yourself out a purse and I'll try to hurry Ms. Shopaholic along." She giggled which was music to my ears before walking in the opposite direction. I however, took a deep breath started over towards everyone else.

"Ok five more minutes and then we're leaving." I told the girls. The guys gave me a thankful look as they rubbed their sore arms.

"Give us ten and you got yourself a deal." I could deal with that. Hey, it was better than nothing. I agreed before walking over to the purse section with the guys following me, wanting to get away from the two girls. It was fairly big and crowded. I scanned the room looking for the brunette, but I didn't see her. There was a blonde, a redhead, a brunette with short hair, some of East Highs basketball players, another blond. I froze as soon as my eyes traveled back to the basketball players. What would they be doing in the purse section?

"Gabriella." I said quietly to myself. I ran as fast as I could to the aisle, Zeke, Chad and Ryan following close by. What I saw made my fist curl up in fury. They were trying to get her to talk. She lay on the floor, shaking, scared to death as Greg, one of the basketball players sat on her, holding her down.

The four of us dropped the bags we were holding. "I thought I told you idiots to stay away from her." I said through gritted teeth as I picked Greg up by his shirt. He looked lost like a deer in headlights.

"Uh look Troy, I mean come-on. We didn't hurt her. She looked lost. She was uh by herself." He stammered.

Zeke, Ryan, and Chad grabbed the two other guys who were trying to run away. "Does this look like you weren't hurting her?" I said pointing to Gabriella shaking on the floor. Without so much as another thought, I shoved his sorry form into the pole.

"Is there a problem here boys, or do I need to call security?" A sales lady came over to us, hands were on her hips.

"Yes I do have a problem. You security system sucks. Your surveillance sucks, and your sales attendants suck. I would like to see your manager." I said while turning my back to her. Out of the corner of my eye I watched her walk away.

Bending down to Gabi, I wiped the tears that were cascading down her face. Before taking her in my arms, I helped her stand up. "You're ok. I'm right here. God I should have never let you go by yourself." Her face was buried into my shirt so I knew she couldn't hear me, but to me it didn't matter. To me she could hear. She could feel the vibrations my throat was given off from talking and for some reason that seemed to calm her down. I kept talking to her until I saw the manager appear.

He looked like an old Italian guy. "Excuse me sir. Hi I'm Mr. Vincent, the store manager. Is there something I can do for you?" His old wrinkled hands were folded out in front of him as he spoke.

"Yes, this is Gabriella Montez. She was attacked in your store by these three. I am furious as to why no one in your store saw this. I understand you are very busy, but that's no excuse. Hire more help if you need to." If I didn't have Gabriella shaking in my arms, I wouldn't have been so calm. I know she could tell if I yell by the vibrations in my throat.

My hands unclenched as I exhaled deeply. "You are absolutely right sir. I am so terribly sorry this has happened. Consider the police on their way and please, tell you and your friends to pick out anything they want in the store. It's on us." I said a quick thank you before lifting Gabriella's head up. The tears had now subsided, but her face was still scared. Putting my hand on either side of her face, I placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"You three owe her an apology. That is no way to treat a woman. You three should be fucking ashamed of yourselves. Consider yourselves suspended from the team." I just don't understand how they can do this to her again. I've already warned them at least two times. I'm sick of it. They mumbled a half hearted apology before Zeke, Chad and Ryan put them down, not very gently might I add. At this point, I could care less though. That's what they deserved.

"Get the girls, we're leaving. Tell them to give me their bathing suits." I mumbled to the guys. Without a second thought they ran off.

"Which bag do you like?" I said after I got Gabriella's attention.

Once she read my lips she immediately looked down. "Are you mad at me?" I heard Gabriella's sweet voice.

"Of course not, Sweetheart. What would give you that idea?" Lifting her hands up, she placed it on my face. Her thumb ran along the crease between my eyebrows. I unclenched my face immediately. I never meant to give Gabriella the impression that my face meant that I was mad at her. With her index finger she traced along my lips, her soft hands erasing every scrunched up line. I couldn't help but close my eyes for a second and memorize every feeling she was afflicting on me. Opening them up, I stared into her eyes.

'_I like the black one,'_ she mouthed to me and then looked down. Sure enough there was the forgotten black bag she intended on purchasing.

Walking with her hand in hand, I found them hanging up. There was no way I would let her get the one off the floor. She deserved a new one.

Our friends met us by the cashiers, the manager waiting for us to check out. He scanned the bar codes of the seven swim suits plus Gabriella's bag so the alarm didn't go out when we walked out of the store. Before we left, he apologized once more to me and to Gabriella. What was I going to do, not accept it? I had no other choice.

**Gabi's Pov: **

I was still getting over the shock on the car ride home. What did those boys want from me? Why do they feel the need to hurt me at every chance they get? Troy of course was being nothing but nice to me. He has been taking good care of me.

"Did they hurt you? Are you ok? Do you need anything?" Troy asked after he lifted my face to meet his.

I gave a dry chuckle. He has been doing this every ten minutes or so and each time I have given the same answer. I was fine, a little shaken up, a little used to people doing this to me, but I was fine. The ride back home was longer than the ride to the mall. The mood had changed since then. It now held a much more somber feeling.

I gave Troy a questioning look as he unbuckled my seatbelt. He gave me a reassuring smile, which as always puts all questions to rest. I watched as she held his arms out to me. Did he want to give me a friendly hug? Was this normal? I copied him and held my arms out to him. With one smooth and gentle motion he picked me up and placed me on his lap.

I couldn't help but turn my body into his and wrap my arms around his neck. I placed my head on his throat and immediately felt a vibration. Keeping my hand on his throat, I looked up. His mouth was clamped shut, but the vibration remained. That's when it dawned on me.

He was humming. That soothing feeling was him humming. Placing my head back to its rightful spot, I couldn't help but smile and inhale. That same smell is always there. I felt him trace imaginary designs on my back. My eyes started to droop and suddenly I couldn't tell if I was being lulled to sleep by his smell or his humming – the lullaby for the deaf.

**I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this chapter. Reviews would be nice and greatly appreciated. What do you want to see in the next chapter? What do you want to take place at the sleepover? **


	11. Chapter 11

The Silent Girl

**Troy's Pov:**

I smiled as I looked down at the sleeping girl in my arms. Though I knew she was fast asleep, I kept humming. It seemed to relax her, which I thought was the best gift I could receive from her. What else could I want more than my friend being completely at ease?

I walked around the house, making sure to support her sleeping form with my arm while my other hand secured her head. To tell you the truth, it was partly because I didn't want to jostle her, and partly to keep her head at my throat so she could feel the vibrations.

I watched with amused eyes as our friends took out everything from movies, to twister, to all kinds of junk food, and finally blankets and pillows.

"Are you actually doing work and not getting your butler to do it for you?" I teased her and then continued humming.

"Why are you whispering Troy, it's not like she can hear you? Daddy gave him the night off so don't remind me." Sharpay groaned.

For some reason, I felt like I didn't need to answer her question. She seemed like she didn't want an answer by the way she just went back to throwing pillows on the floor. Deep down, I knew it wouldn't matter if I yelled or not. Gabriella still wouldn't have heard me, but she is still a person no matter what. For me it was natural to whisper out of courtesy when someone was sleeping. Gabriella is no different. Before in the mall, she proved to me that she could tell when I was yelling. She said something about how the vibrations in my throat got more prominent.

I looked down at Gabriella and ran my hands through her brown locks. She made no sudden movements, other then the occasional move of her head, trying to get closer to me. I couldn't help but hold her tighter, gently pressing against my chest. Deep down I knew waking her would be the right thing to do. There was no way she would even want to miss a minute of the sleepover. It was me who was stubborn – not having the heart to wake this poor tired girl.

I waited an extra five minted before the hand that held her head shifted to her back. I scratched it gently, hoping to ease her out of her slumber. "Come on Brie time to wake up," I whispered ever so softly.

I knew it wouldn't make a difference if I said it or not, but to me it felt right. Slowly but surly, she started to wake.

"Welcome back sleeping beauty," I said once she looked up at me.

I chuckled as her face turned a light shade of pink. After setting her on the floor, her eyes started to wander. I watched as her eyes went wide noticing the huge ceiling and staircase. That was my same reaction when I saw the house for the first time. The Evans' house was probably the biggest in the county, no wait, state. It held twelve bedrooms, fourteen bathrooms, flat screens in every room, not to mention the famous movie theater in the basement. I still haven't gotten used to this house, and I've been here at least one hundred times.

Taking Gabriella's hand in mine, we walked over to the couch and took a seat, Gabriella's hand never leaving mine.

**Gabriella's Pov:**

My eyes couldn't help but stare at the room in front of me. To say it was huge would be an understatement. Is it really possible for people to have so much money?

I leaned back into Troy and closed my eyes. I felt as if I could sleep forever, but if I did I would miss my first sleepover, and well we wouldn't want that. Opening my eyes, I looked up at Troy and smiled, silently thanking him for bringing me here.

His hand that had occupied its' rightful place around my arm shifted to my stomach. Thousands and thousands of butterflies were floating inside me as I felt him gently rub it. Mindlessly, I moved one of my hands on top of his. I giggled softly as his fingertips swept along my stomach, me not really caring about my tank top riding up an inch. I looked up to see him smiling down at me.

"Oh so I see we have a very ticklish girl here. What in the word shall we do?" I read Troy's lips.

My eyes went wide as I soon realized what he was going to do. He pulled me farther up on his lap and with both hands, frivolously attacked my stomach. Breaking out into fits of laughter, I couldn't help but try to get him to stop.

"Troy St-sto-stoppp. I- I ca-can't breaathhe." I gasp, hoping he understood me.

I felt his hands slowly coming to a stop while I tried to control my breathing. Lying back against him, I calmed down. I smiled as he kissed the side of my head and went back to rubbing my stomach. Looking up we found eyes staring at us while smirking.

"You done flirting?" Ryan asked us.

I couldn't help the rose color forming on my face from my embarrassment. Was this considered flirting? I didn't know. I looked down at our positions. Troy sat on the couch, his feet resting on the coffee table. I however sat on his lap. My back was against his chest and my head resting on his shoulder. One of Troy's hands was rubbing my stomach while his other rested against the side of my leg. Never in my life have I ever been this close to a guy. Wait let me correct myself. Never in my have had a guy wanted to be this close to me. The only people who hugged me were my family. No one besides my family had ever shown this much affection towards me.

That's when I realized what I was going through. This wasn't just some silly friendship. This was a crush. Now does he feels the same way, probably not. For now though, it's just nice to be held.

I looked back up at them when I felt the vibration in Troy's throat. He was probably responding to them.

"Yea, and I'm the queen of England." Chad said.

I couldn't help but giggle. Sometimes it's more fun to see one side of the conversation. Taylor's waving hands caught my attention.

"What do you want to do first, Gabriella, movies, twister, or truth or dare?" Taylor said to me.

I've never played twister or truth or dare before, but since they wanted to play I'm sure it is fun. "I don't know how to play twister." I said quietly. I should have known how to. Now they are probably all going to laugh at me.

"We'll teach you. You'll love it! It's so much fun. I do need people to help me get drinks though." Sharpay clapped her hands.

I started to get off Troy's lap to help her, but Sharpay put her hand up. "You two can stay there. I'm sure we can handle it." I politely nodded and settled myself back into the warmth of my best friend.

**Sharpay's Pov: **

I couldn't help but smile as I watched Troy and Gabriella interact. That's why I came up with a plan. I didn't need help with the drinks. Troy and Gabriella were so consumed with each other that they didn't realize the drinks are out on the table already. Tapping my foot impatiently, I waited for their slow butts to get through the door before closing it.

"So is it just me or do Troy and Gabriella make an adorable couple?" I tried my best not to squeal.

"Well, there was some flirting going one back there, and at the mall, and at school. Troy's never acted this way with any girl." Taylor piped up while pouring herself a glass of water.

I opened the kitchen door just enough to see the two teenagers on the couch. Gabriella now sported Troy's Wildcat sweatshirt. The one he never lends out to anyone. I closed the door just in time so they didn't hear Chad talking.

"Remember that cheerleader he used to date? He never hugged her, never held hands in public, and wouldn't dare try to tickle her." I cringed at the thought of that witch. She would give all the girls this evil eye telling us to back off.

"Girls, I think it's time to play a little game of match maker." I heard the boys groan, but I gave them a look making them shut up instantly.

"Uh should we at least bring some cups out there. Even though they're probably to busy to notice, we still told them we were going to get drinks." Zeke said as he grabbed the stack of cups on the counter. Walking back into the living room, I waited for Gabriella to look at me before speaking.

"Who's ready to play twister?" I watched as Troy gave Gabriella a hug before helping her up. I inwardly squealed as Troy grabbed her hand and led her over to the Twister mat on the floor. This was going to be a fun night. Hopefully the love birds will confess their love by tonight. I'll make sure of it.

**Troy's Pov: **

"How do you play?" Gabriella whispered in my ear. I couldn't help but give her hand a little squeeze. Her shyness was kicking in from being in an unfamiliar place and doing unfamiliar things. Using my index finger, I lifted her head up and began explaining the rules to her.

"You have two people on each side of the mat. There is a person who spins and they will tell you where to put either your right or left hand or your left or right foot. For example, if someone says right hand yellow. Then you find a yellow circle and put your hand on it. Be careful though, if you fall that means you lose. Also you can't lift your hand or foot off the color to scratch your nose or something." I watched as Gabriella nodded enthusiastically.

"want to play." I smiled. Sometimes she thinks she says a word, when really she is thinking it. So I'm guess she meant to say, 'I want to play.'

"Who's going to play this round?" I asked no one in particular.

"Well, Zeke is really bad at the game, plus he's hungry so he wants to sit out. Ryan is going to be the spinner person. I will translate for Gabi and that leaves Sharpay and Chad to play with you two," Taylor said.

I watched as Taylor signed to Gabriella, probably that she was going to tell her what Ryan is saying. I felt even luckier to have Taylor as a friend. This way Gabi wouldn't have to strain her neck to look at Ryan.

The four of us took our rightful place on the mat and began playing. We were twenty minutes into the game and I had yet to put my right hand on the board. Gabriella was directly under me, completely spread out. My right hand hovered around her just incase she fell. Sharpay had her arms tangled in Gabi's and her legs under Chad.

"Hey I like the view. Nice red underwear Gabi." I looked behind me and sure enough, Gabriella's butt was in Chad's face.

I looked over at Taylor who looked guilty. That's when I knew that Taylor had told Gabriella what Chad said. I shook my head. Chad just couldn't keep his mouth shut.

Gabriella looked up at me mortified. Earlier I had told her if she takes her hand off the color then she would be out. _'Do you trust me?'_ I mouthed to her. I didn't feel the need for anyone else to know what I was saying. It was none of their business. I watched as she carelessly bit her bottom lip, making it turn white. Looking as though she was going to cry at any moment, she nodded her head.

Luckily, my right hand had yet to be placed on the mat. I lifted my hand to her lips and brushed my thumb over her pale white bottom lip. She stopped biting it almost as if she hadn't realized what she was doing.

Going ever so slowly as to not to scare her, I brought my hands the bottom of her white shorts. They had ridden up from being a little big on her. My knuckles brushed against her upper thigh as I tugged the thin material down on each side. I was glad when she didn't flinch.

Before retracting my hand, pulled the already huge sweatshirt she was wearing down. It now came to her mid thigh. I smacked Chad's head before returning my hand to her face. With the back of my hand, I gently caressed the soft skin. _'It's ok Brie. You get used to Chad saying stupid things after a while.'_ I heard her chuckle, which made me smile. Soon everyone was laughing along with Gabi. Well, everyone except Chad who had no idea what was going on.

We started playing again, quickly pushing aside what just happened. While it was Sharpay's turn, Gabriella looked back up at me and smiled. _'Thank you.'_ She mouthed and leaned up to kiss my cheek. I closed my eyes, memorizing the feeling.

I heard Sharpay screech, which was never good, and looked up. Sharpay was falling to the ground, banging into Chad in the process. From there it was like a game of dominos. Securing my hand around Gabriella's stomach, I held onto her as Chad bumped into us, making all of us fall to the ground, intertwined in each other.

"I could have totally won that game Klutzilla." Chad glared at Sharpay who looked as guilty as ever. We all erupted in laughter when we saw our positions. One by one we all untangled ourselves and stood up.

"What should we do next, movie or truth or dare?" Zeke asked before shoving a handful of popcorn in his mouth.

"I don't want to watch a movie. I'm not really in the mood." I said.

I didn't want Gabriella to sit there bored. This was her first sleepover and I wanted to make it fun for her.

"Truth or dare it is." Chad said as he sat down on the floor.

We all followed him and sat in a circle. Gabriella was on my right and Taylor on my left. Going counter clockwise, it was Taylor, Chad, Ryan, Zeke, Sharpay, and Gabriella.

"Who wants to go first?" Taylor asked while signing to Gabriella. I raised my hand and looked around the circle, debating on who I should ask. My eyes landed on Chad. I could get him back for what he did to Gabi before.

"Ok Chad, truth or dare?" He didn't hesitate to answer my question.

"Dare! I can take it, I'm a man." I rolled my eyes at it comment.

"Alright if you're a man, I dare you to cut off a piece of your hair." His eyes widened as his hands flew up to his head.

"You want me to cut Betty?" He said with a scared voice. I thought he was a man.

"Oh my god, you did not name your 'fro." I couldn't help but laugh as I watched Taylor put her hand to her head.

Ryan passed him the scissors and we all watched him close his eyes and snip a piece of his hair off. We couldn't help but notice his eyes filling up with tears as he tried to reattach the piece of hair after it was cut off.

We have been playing this game for about half an hour now. So far Zeke had to sing the Barney song outside for all the neighbors to hear, clad in his boxers. Sharpay had to throw out all of her pink nail polish. Ryan had to say who he liked, which we all awed when he said Martha. Taylor had to admit that she had slept naked before.

"Troy truth or dare?" Sharpay's voice broke me out of my thoughts. I looked at her and said, "Dare." I watched her face turn into a smirk before she spoke up.

"Ok I dare you to take Gabi and spend seven minutes in that closet." Sharpay said while pointing to of course, the smallest closet in the house. I glared at her before standing up.

Reaching down to take Gabriella's hand, I pulled her up with me. I was glad when her face didn't show any signs of nerves. It made me happy to know that she trusted me. I wouldn't do anything in the closet to hurt her.

Opening the closet door, I let her go in first before closing it behind me. Even though it was the smallest closet, it was still bigger than any closet I had ever seen before. There was only one small problem. There wasn't a light to be found in the closet.

"Troy," I heard her sweet voice call me. To any other person my name would sound like a bunch nonsense letters, but to me it was crystal clear. To the rest of our friends my name would sound like, 'Trwoy.' If I yelled out to her, I knew wouldn't be able to hear me anyway. I wanted desperately to say, 'don't worry Sweetheart, I'm right here. Follow the sound of my voice.'

I held my hands out in front of me and slowly walked forward. Why did Sharpay have to have such a big closet? Taking out my cell phone from my pocket, I opened it. The light from the phone illuminated a good portion of the room. I saw her run towards me, her arms open wide.

I quickly put the phone back in my pocket and wrapped my arms around Gabriella. _'It's ok.'_ I drew on her back. She didn't answer me; she only clung to me tighter. We stayed silent for the remainder of the time, her gripping onto me for her life. _'what's wrong?'_ I wrote out.

"I don't really like the dark." She spoke softly after unburying her head from my shirt. I held onto her tighter once she said this.

"I'll never let anything happen to you." I knew she couldn't hear me. I was reassuring myself more than her. Gabriella reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck. I picked her up and started to hum when she laid her head on my neck.

Our time had to be up by now. I opened the closet door and walked back to our friends, Gabriella still in my arms. The living room was a mess.

"Aww what happened to Gabriella?" Sharpay asked.

"Nothing, it was just a little too dark in there. You should consider a light. I think the real question is what happened in here?" I continued to hum and nodded my head in the direction of the floor. Pieces of food was scattered everywhere.

"I am the master of the food eating contest." Chad stood up and raised both of his arms in victory. We all laughed at the popcorn that was embedded in 'Betty.'

"Ok guys, sit down, we still have to ask Gabi truth or dare," Zeke said as he sat on the floor. I walked over to them trying not to step on the food. As much as I didn't want to, I placed Gabi on the floor and took a seat next to her.

"Ok Gabi, truth or dare?" Chad said when Gabi looked at him and then resumed chugging the liter of orange soda.

"Truth," Gabi said quietly. Chad let out a long and disgusting burp before speaking. I watched in amusement at Gabi scrunched her nose up.

"Do you like Troy more than a friend?" Chad said earning yet another smack, but this time from Ryan.

Before I could grab her hand, Gabriella got up from her spot of the floor and ran off. Without hesitating, I tried to follow her, but I was too late. She had locked herself in the bathroom. I tried to open it, but the knob wouldn't turn. My head rested against the cold bathroom door, trying to listen for any movement inside. I couldn't see her face or tell what she was thinking and that hurt me the most.

**I just wanted to thank everyone for reviewing. I tried my best to put everyone's suggestions in this chapter. If you guys have anymore don't be afraid to speak up! I hope you enjoyed this one. Sorry it took me so long. I have been very sick with a cold and I didn't really want to write a crummy chapter, so each day I've been writing a page. **


	12. Chapter 12

The Silent Girl

**Troy's Pov:**

Leaning my head against the cool wooden door, I couldn't help but strain to hear what was going on in there. Everything was silent, almost as if she weren't in there at all. That thought worried me even more. My friends, still in the living room, were silent. Gabriella was silent.

I tried the door one more time. Maybe just maybe she unlocked it. My hand grasped the cold metal and jiggled it. I sighed as I pulled my hand away from the knob. My fists pounded against the door in my own frustration. This certainly wasn't turning out like the perfect sleepover I wanted for Gabriella.

"Gabriella please open up." I whispered to myself. She would be clueless as to if I was even talking. She probably thinks no one cares about her. No one came after her. Everyone is probably having fun without her there.

With all the shakiness in my hand, I pulled out my cell phone, silently praying that she had hers. It was my only other option, well that and breaking down the door which I was seriously debating on doing. My fingers grazed the little buttons as I texted her.

_To Gabriella:_

_I'm so sorry Brie. Chad had no right to say that. Please let me in or tell me what you're thinking. It's just me out here. _

_From Troy. _

I waited anxiously for my phone to light up and beep, but it didn't come. I was so worried about her. My body slid down the door. My head fell into my hands as I tried my best not to rip Chad's hair out then and there. Deep down he's a good guy; he just gets his not so bright moments.

I stayed in that position for well over an hour. My friends offered to sit with me, but I declined. If Gabi ever did decided to unlock the door I didn't want her to shut it again from seeing all of them. I wasn't going to even walk away from the door until I saw her face, know she was feeling, and tried to solve it. I wasn't going to walk away when she needed me the most, whether she admitted or not.

That's when I head that faint infamous click. She had unlocked the door. I quickly jumped to my feet, but she didn't come out. As slowly as I could, I opened the door and stuck my head in. Her back was to me and her phone in hand. Her sandals lay forgotten on the floor along with my sweatshirt. She sat on top of the counter with her legs pulled up to her chest. I walked further into the bathroom and closed the door behind me before locking it.

"I'm sorry I ran out like that. I…I needed to talk it over with my mother." She said softly as she fingered the clear faucet.

Resting my hand on her back, she turned to me, her feet now dangling off the counter top. "Chad sometimes says stupid things, but he really is a good guy." I told her once she looked at me.

I watched as she shook her head in disagreement. "I'm not mad at him. I'm confused." Her eyebrows knitted together as she talked. With one silent gesture, she raised her hand and gave me her phone. I gave her a questioning look as I turned the thin phone around in my hand.

"Look through the text messages. You'll understand better." She said and then looked down.

Taking a seat on the floor, I opened the phone and went to the first sent message. The first message she sent her mother made me smile. It read: _Mom, I'm falling for Troy, and hard. He makes me feel so important. He makes me feel like I'm normal but I'm afraid he doesn't feel the same way._ I looked up at her only to see her not meeting my eye.

Turning back to the phone I went into her inbox and saw her moms reply. _Mija, Don't be afraid to fall. Troy will be there to catch you. I guarantee you, Troy feels the same way. It's obvious. Just don't be afraid to show your what your feeling. _Her mother was one hundred percent right. I looked for my message that I sent to see if she ever received it, and sure enough it was there. It also said that she read it within the first two minutes after I sent it.

Pulling out my phone, I went through my inbox just to make sure I didn't miss her reply. There were no new messages from her. Going back to her phone I went into her sent message. Sure enough there was a message sent to her mother in regards to my message. I skimmed through the rest of the fifty messages. The majority of them were about her fears and questions to how to go about acting. That's where I felt bad. The last thing I want her to ask someone else is how to act around me. The only person I want her to be is herself. I closed the phone and stood up. She looked everywhere but my face.

I placed her phone next to her on the counter and rested my hands on her legs. They had tiny goose bumps on them, which made me question why my sweatshirt was in a ball on the floor. My hands traveled to her hands and then up her arms, which too had millions and millions of goose bumps on them. With my pointer finger and thumb, I turned her face to me.

"Why did you take the sweat shirt off your freezing?" After I finished asking her, I turned around and picked up the forgotten sweatshirt from the floor.

"I needed to think without having you in my head." She told me as I laid the sweatshirt across her lap. Her small frame shivered as the now cold material touched her legs.

"What do you mean?" I asked her after I locked eyes with her.

"You're in my head. All of a sudden you're always in my head. It like I can't get you out or maybe I don't want you out, I don't know. You're in there. That I do know." I watched as she ran her hands through her hair before meeting my eye.

"Brie, tell me why you took the sweatshirt. You're shaking you're so cold." The back of my hand gently rubbed her cheek. She took the sweatshirt off her lap and began to put it on before speaking.

"I thought that not having your sweatshirt or your smell for that matter would help get you out of my head. It didn't work though. It only made me want it that much more." I watched the rose color return from her face after saying that last line. My arms wrapped around her shaking frame as her head dug into my shoulder. I heard her inhale deeply before looking up at me.

"Hey just for the record, I have feelings for you too. What makes you think I don't miss your smell every minute you're away from me? I've never felt so comfortable and connected with another person in my entire life." The smile she gave me was priceless.

Sliding her of the bathroom counter, I gently placed her on her feet. "Can we just take this really slow? I'm new to this whole relationship thing." I wouldn't have had it any other way.

"Nice and slow sounds perfect to me." I told her softly.

Taking her hand in mine, I made my way to the door. Before I could even get a hand on it though, she pulled me back. "Troy, I can't go back there. I made a fool of myself." She stared at my lips waiting for a response. I couldn't believe she was actually worried about this.

"You did nothing wrong. Chad made a fool out of himself like usual. If anything, they are going to apologize for the way they acted." I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. I watched silently as a smiled formed on her face.

"It was kind of funny to watch them play matchmaker." I nodded my head in agreement.

"Well then, let's not ruin their fun." She laughed, which I took as a cue to walk out of the bathroom. Everything was going to be just fine as long as we kept Chad under control.

Gabriella and I walked into a pitch black living room. The only light was the light coming from the television. Once we made our presence known, all five of them looked up at us. Almost immediately Chad stood up and walked over to Gabriella. I smiled when he took her face in his hands and squeezed it, making a fish face form on her.

"I'm sorry for my behavior. I didn't mean to upset you." I laughed at Gabriella. She looked scared yet amused as Chad talked to her.

"It's ok. Forgive you," I laughed even harder when I heard Gabriella respond. She sounded as if she had marbles in her mouth. She also forgot some words, but other than that, it sounded perfect.

"Ok Chad easy." I patted him on the back telling him to let to poor girl sit down. He thankfully let go and went back to his place on the floor.

Gabriella and I found a spare place on the many blankets and sat down.

"Uhm does anyone mind if I change something on the T.V?" I heard Gabriella's low voice ask. She seemed so timid around these people all of a sudden. Sharpay looked back at her and smiled. "Sure go ahead." Sharpay handed Gabriella a silver remote. I watched as Brie went into the settings section of the television. My questions were soon answered when she went into the closed captions and turned them on. Once again I forgot. This wouldn't have been a lot of fun for her, just to sit here and watch the pictures move without knowing what's going on.

"Are you ok with watching TV?" I mouthed to her as soon as she looked at me again. Gabriella smiled and nodded.

"I love scary movies and the best thing is that I can turn away and not have to hear the creepy sounds." She said quietly.

"We ordered pizza." Ryan said and handed me the box. Opening it up, I took out one slice and gave it to Gabriella before serving myself. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until that first bite was in my mouth. Both of our slices were gone within five minutes. All of a sudden, the movie was paused. Looking around, I saw Taylor had the remote.

"It's already 1am. Why don't we get in our pajamas incase we fall asleep?" Taylor's tired voice spoke out. I was glad when she signed for Gabi. Everyone gave tired nods and stood up. I kissed Gabriella cheek before following Chad and Zeke into the spare bedroom.

**Gabi's Pov: **

Though I have nothing to compare it to, this sleepover is going great. Sure there have been some slight bumps along the way, but overall it's been a lot of fun. I've learned how to play twister, which I've now learned not to play in shorts – and Chad. I've played truth or dare for the first time, which I thought was funny – until they got to me. Not to mention Troy who has been absolutely phenomenal through all of this. I am convinced that he can make any bad situation good.

So now, as I walk up the many flights of stairs, lugging my bag and following Taylor and Sharpay, I can't help but smile despite my tired body. That's right, here I am one in the morning, can't keep my eyes open, and I still want to stay wide awake.

After reaching the top step of many, we walked down a long hallway and turned into the last room on the right. I think we passed about four quest rooms, two bathrooms, and one office to get there. Her room was no surprise, it was probably bigger than my room and my mom's put together. Everything in her room was pink too. Her bed was a king size, she had five closets, a flat screen TV, and to top it all off, her own master bathroom complete with a Jacuzzi.

Unzipping my bag, I pulled out a pair of sweatpants. I'm sure Troy wouldn't mind if I wore his sweatshirt. I turned around when Sharpay touched my shoulder. I saw a tiny silk gown in her hands. Was she really going to wear that with boys in the house?

"I got you a night gown at the mall. I'm sure Troy will love it." She held it out placing it against my body. It didn't cover anything. It should be called a shirt.

"I'm sure any guy would like this, Sharpay. It doesn't even come past the middle of my thigh. I think I'm going to stick with what I have." Sharpay shrugged her shoulders before throwing the silk 'shirt' on her bed. I knew what Sharpay was doing. She was trying to once again get me and Troy together. Well the jokes on her.

Unbuttoning the white shorts, I let them drop to the ground before slipping on a pair of oversized sweat pants. Turning my back to Taylor and Sharpay, I shrugged the sweatshirt off along with my spaghetti strap tank top and bra before slipping Troy's sweatshirt back on. The warmth and fuzziness of the sweatshirt felt immaculate on my bare skin. After gathering my clothes up, I stuffed them back into my bag. Taylor was in simple checkered pajama pants with a matching long sleeve t-shirt, while Sharpay wore a pink nightgown. It was a longer version of the one she offered me, but only by an inch or so.

"Ready?" Taylor signed to me? I nodded and linked arms with her and Sharpay before walking down the long flight of stairs. I couldn't help but run up to Troy when I saw him. He too was in sweatpants, but he wore a t-shirt. I couldn't help but feel completely at bliss when he picked me up and twirled me around.

"Nice outfit." He said to me once we locked eyes.

Troy took my hand and led me back over to our spot. He leaned back against the couch and gently situated me in between his legs. Both his arms wrapped around my midsection and his head leaned on mine. Finding I nearby blanket, I pulled it over to us and situated it just under my chin. Leaning back into Troy, mindlessly fixed the blanket to cover Troy too. All the events of the day were starting to take a toll on me. By the look of it, it was on everyone else too. Most of my new friends had already fallen asleep, everyone except Troy. I missed the warmth around my midsection as soon as Troy's arms untangled themselves from my stomach. Looking up at him, I silently watched as he lifted up one of the beige couch cushions only to produce a small spray can.

"Shall we?" He asked when my eyes turned to his lips.

Taking the small can in my hand, I twisted it around to find the label. _'Pink Hair Spray'_ I couldn't help but smiled and nod.

"Do you want to do the honors of getting Chad back for what he did before, or should I?" He mouthed to me.

I handed the small can back to him and moved so he could stand up. Tiptoeing over to Chad, we crouched down beside his head. My bottom lip was becoming white from me trying not to laugh. Pink was a good look on him.

My breath caught in my throat as I watched him stretch and turn under the blanket he was in. Out of nowhere, Troy grabbed my hand and pulled me back to the spot we were in before. The can went under the couch. Hopefully no one will be able to see it. Troy laid down on a thick comforter and pulled another one on top of him. He nodded towards me, silently telling him to join him. Once he tucked the comforter around me, his arms wrapped around me once more. My body curled into is body and my head was tucked just under his chin.

"I've always loved the idea of falling in love with your best friend." I kept my head on his throat, not wanting to see his face – or his reaction for that matter. I closed my eyes and smiled when he kissed my temple. My arms tightened around him and suddenly, I couldn't keep my eyes open for any longer. Somewhere between Zeke's snoring and Troy's humming, I fell asleep not wanting to ever move from this spot.

**Ok sorry it's not the best chapter. I could really use some suggestions for next chapter. Anything you guys want in the next chapter please tell me! **


	13. Chapter 13

The Silent Girl

**Troy's Pov:**

The morning chill of the air encircled us as I pulled the blanket tighter around me and Gabriella. Gabriella was still cuddled into my side, never once moving throughout the night. My friends were laughing in the distance, probably over something stupid. That was always happening when we had sleepovers.

I opened my eyes and blinked frivolously, trying to adjust them to the bright light coming through the window. Slipping one of my hands out from the covers, I rubbed them before returning my hand to Gabriella. My hands traced the outline of her face. Her soft delicate skin felt like heaven on my rough hand. Combing her hair with my finger, she smiled before pressing her head into my throat. She was silently talking to me. Getting to know her has made me realize what she wants by the simplest of motions. It was her way of telling me what she wanted when she was too lazy to worry about what she would sound like if she talked. I began to hum softly to her. The vibrations satisfying her.

Her eyes blinked open, and she looked up and smiled at me. "Morning sunshine," I said to her quietly, pausing my humming for a second. Her thin arms wrapped around my neck as she pressed her cold feet to my warm legs.

"Good Morning." The shocking chill of her feet make me gasp in shock. Shifting my leg, I rested my leg on top of her feet in hopes to aide her in some form of heat.

"Is everyone else up?" She asked, not once opening her eyes.

'_Yes and laughing in the kitchen about something.'_ I spelled out on her back.

In a matter of seconds she pulled away from me and sat up. Her warm brown eyes soon became wide making me question with worry. I too sat up and pulled the covers off of us.

"Chad," She said as she hurried to stand up.

I quickly got to my feet and smirked at her. "Where are they?" She asked, not being able to hear where the laughter was coming from. Even though her face was full of worry, she looked beautiful. Her hair, somehow, had not been messed up in the slightest during the night. Her clothes however, were a different story. Her oversized sweatpants were hung off her hips. Her sweatshirt, or should I say mine, hung off one of her shoulders, while the bottom rode up so her slim waist was shown.

With my index finger, I motioned her to come closer to me. She hesitated, pulling my hand wanting to go see where everyone was. My arms wrapped around her small frame, and my hands settled on her bare hips. Bringing my lips to her head, I pressed them to her forehead. Slipping my thumbs under the waist band of her grey sweatpants, I slowly brought them up to her hips. Doing the same thing with her sweatshirt, I pulled it down to the top of her pants.

"I guess I should get some smaller clothes." I chuckled and once again pressed my lips to her forehead.

Un-wrapping my arms, I took her hand in mine and led her up the stairs. The laughing was getting louder and louder, and Chad's yelling was becoming ear piercing. Before entering one of the many guest rooms, I gave Gabriella's hand a light squeeze in reassurance.

Entering the bathroom was a site to see. Everyone was doubled over in laughter while Chad sat just outside the bathtub. His head was in the tub while Zeke used the showerhead to wash his hair.

"What's going on?" If we wanted to keep our cover, we would have to act like we didn't have anything to do with it. Taylor turned around and took Gabriella from me. They began signing almost instantly to each other, probably Taylor telling her what was going on and what everyone was saying. I felt a sense of emptiness when she was taken away from me. I felt empty when she and Taylor were signing to each other. I felt empty when I couldn't understand what they were saying, what she was saying.

"If I find out who did this to Betty, you're going to be very sorry." Chad's voice broke my stare with the girls.

"Oh stop complaining, it's almost out. You actually look good in pink. Who ever did this did your hair justice." Of course Sharpay would compliment the pink. It was her life.

Everyone but Chad probably knew who the mastermind behind this prank was because they all were smiling at me. "There, that's as good as its going to get." Zeke sighed as he shut the water off and stood up before throwing Chad a towel. Walking over to Gabriella, I wrapped my arms around her waist, causing her to lean back into me. Right now I was in heaven.

**Gab Pov: **

I still couldn't wrap my head around how lucky I was to have these people in my life, not to mention Taylor and Troy. Words could not explain how grateful I am that Taylor knows sign language. Feeling a familiar pair of arms wrap around me I could help but place my hands on top of them, securing them in place. I loved the feel of him. I loved everything about him.

I was beginning to be dependant on him, and that scares me. I'm not used to wanting someone's touch so much. I'm not used to needing a person close by me.

"When are we heading over to the beach?" I said quietly to no one in particular. I was excited. I couldn't remember the last time I've been to the beach. My mom was always afraid of me getting lost and not being able to hear her call for me.

'_We were just waiting for Chad's drama queen moment to be over.'_ Taylor smiled as she signed to me. I inwardly squealed when I felt Troy's thumb slip under his sweatshirt and gently rub my hip bone. Reaching my arms up, I secured them behind Troy's neck. I looked at all of my friends; all eyes were focused on us. I suddenly became shy, dropping my arms. Much to my disappointment, Troy did too after his arms gave me one last squeeze.

"Aw you two would make such a cute couple!" It looked like that was what Sharpay was saying. I looked up at Troy, worried that our secret might spill.

"Don't be ridiculous, Sharpay. Gabriella is my best friend. I think I'm entitled to give her a friendly hug." I calmed down once I read Troy's lips.

Looking back at my friends, I was able to catch what Chad was saying. "Dude, I thought I was your best friend?" I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw Troy push Chad's hair playfully.

'_Come on let's go get our swimsuits on.'_ Taylor's waving hands caught my attention. I locked eyes with Troy and gave him a smile before following Sharpay and Taylor out of the room.

"I have a bikini for your Gabriella!" Sharpay held out a tiny pink swimsuit. Shaking my head I pulled out my own black bikini.

"No thank you. I brought one." She smiled and nodded, probably approving the bikini knowing her. Taylor went to change in Sharpay's walk in closet and I assumed Sharpay would want her room, so I took the master bathroom. Setting my clothes on the marble counter, I couldn't help but smile as I looked in the mirror. I hadn't seen myself this happy in a long time. I finally feel like I have a place where I belong.

Slipping off my clothes, I put on my black swim suit. The top was a halter, with a string to tie in the back. I never could tie the string by myself. Holding the suit to my chest with one hand, I grabbed my clothes with the other and walked out. Taylor sat on the bed, watching Sharpay over pack a beach bag. Just as I was putting my clothes in the bag, someone knocked on the door.

"Hurry up girls; we want to leave some time today." Chad's voice complained.

"Ugh we're ready. You can come in!" Taylor voiced without even looking over to see if I was ready. My mouth hung open as the boys piled in. Grabbing Troy's sweatshirt from my bag, I covered myself with it and backed up against the wall. Troy came over to me and smiled.

"You look beautiful. I promise." He mouthed while reaching for the sweatshirt. Shaking my head, I gripped the sweatshirt tighter.

"It's not that, I uh..Can you tie the back for me?" I shyly asked him. He chucked and nodded his head. With his finger he motioned for me to turn around. Once he grabbed the strings, I dropped the sweatshirt, trusting him that he wouldn't drop them. His hands fell to my shoulders giving me the gentlest of massages. When his hands fell from my shoulders, I turned around. He stood there, at least a foot taller than me. His sculpted body stood before me.

Troy raised my chin with his index finger. "Ready?" He asked me. I nodded and grabbed his hand after slipping an over sized t-shirt over me. The room was suddenly empty. That Sharpay is one sneaky girl. What confused me is that I didn't realize they left. I was too preoccupied. When I was with Troy, I suddenly didn't care about my surroundings. He made everything disappear, apart from him of course.

**Troy's Pov: **

Walking out of the room and down the stairs, with Gabriella's hand in mine, I couldn't help but laugh to myself when that familiar honking noise came. Everyone was already in the car waiting, honking for the last ten minutes or so. I didn't dare tell Gabi though. Our friends could wait another minute or two.

The two of us walked out of the house and into the car, both ready for a day at the beach. The car ride was filled with loud music and conversation, but to Gabriella it was silent, which made me sad. It takes a lot to go through what she does day in and day out. I can't even wrap my head around the idea of never being able to hear again. It just made me look up to Gabriella that much more.

The ride took no more than an hour, but when we got there, the beach was beautiful. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. Zeke took care of the basket of towels, while I carried a big blanket to lay out in the sand. Despite how beautiful the beach looked, the sand was scorching hot. I was the only one who didn't leave sandals in the car. Slowing my pace down caused Gabriella to look up at me.

"Here," I slipped my shoes off and passed them to her. "Take 'em." I insisted until she slipped my large sandals on her petite feet.

As we got closer and closer to the water the sand became much cooler. We dropped our bags a few feet away from the water. It was a perfect spot, secluded from other people. After spreading out the blanket, I sat down and motioned for Gabi to join me. I watched silently as the thin white shirt came off her body. Who knew such an inoffensive piece of clothing could be so threatening? She reaching for her bag and pulled a bottle of tanning oil.

"Need a bib?" Chad took the lotion bottle I was holding and began putting it on. This is one time I'm glad Gabriella couldn't hear Chad. Shaking my head, I looked at the water, Taylor, Sharpay, Zeke, and Ryan were already in and having fun.

"Chad why don't you go join them? I hear salt water gets dye out of people's hair." I said as I laid back on the blanked next to Gabriella who was already tanning.

"Seriously?" He asked before he ran off, not waiting for an answer. That kid's so gullible you could say anything to him and he'd believe it. My body relaxed as the sun's rays hit my skin. I almost slipped into a light sleep when I suddenly became drenched with water. I sat up in shock as cold droplets of water dripped down my chest and onto the sand. My immediate thoughts were of Gabriella though. She sat up drenched from head to toe, much worse then me.

"Was that necessary?" I asked as I gave Gabriella a towel to dry off.

"Sorry, but you can't just come to a beach and just tan!" Taylor flicked the last bits of water from the pail on me and smiled. Chuckling, I stood up, and held my hand out to Gabi.

"Fine if we're not allowed to tan, then we're going for a walk." As much as I wanted to be with everyone, right now I was content to just be with Gabriella.

"Yea, yea, and don't tell me you don't have feelings for her, I don't want to hear it." Zeke joked. Gabriella saw was Zeke said and gave a quiet laugh. If I hadn't already confessed my feeling towards her, I would have been embarrassed.

"Just friends Zeke, that's all it is." I heard a bunch of sures and whatever's, but right now, I couldn't care less. The two of us started to talk away from them. Looking back, I found them all heading towards the water. It was a good feeling not to have a bunch of eyes on us anymore.

Finally alone, I dropped my hand from hers causing her to look up. Giving her a reassuring smile, I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. I knew exactly where we were going. It was a place where not a lot of people knew about. We came to a bunch of trees almost looking as if the beach was ending.

"What are we doing hear?" Gabriella looked up at me. I just smiled and moved a couple of leaves away. Standing before her was a continuation of the beach. It held large rocks. The waves crashed over the rocks, almost reaching the top. I watched silently as Gabriella looked on in amazement.

Grabbing her hand once more, I helped her through the crashing waves and onto the rocks ledge. Letting her climb to the top fist, I was right behind her incase she slipped keeping one hand, if not both on her the whole time. It was absolutely beautiful when we got up. The sun beat down on the rocks, making the white rock almost look as if it sparkled. All that was heard was the crashing of waves against the rock. Gently pushing Gabriella onto her back, I laid next to her. Our body's faced each other.

"Teach me sign language," I spoke her in the lowest voice and placed my arm across her waist. I can't explain how happy she looked. The minutes ticked by as she patiently showed me all different things to say. I was a fast learner, but she was an even better teacher. Her patience seemed endless as she taught me.

We must have worked on it for at least a couple of hours. I wasn't fluent, but I could carry a conversation, which was most important. If I practice I would be fluent in no time.

Moving my body on top of Gabriella's, I made sure I kept my weight off her. My fingers ran through her hair as I stared into her chocolate eyes. Our stomachs touch as my body relaxed against hers. She smiled up at me and secured her arms around my neck, gently playing with the hair on the nape of my neck. I've never been in love, or known what lover was, but if this wasn't it, I'm convinced I'll never know. Some say it happens with the first person you meet, and some say you're never really sure if you love that person. Most people just think they fall in love with a person when really they fall in love with the idea of being in love.

For me though, it's different. My love was looking right in my eyes. My love had the most amazing personality and the most beautiful features. You could get lost in her eyes. Her hair was exotic, yet no matter what, it always looked like she worked hours on it. She was kind hearted and could light up a room with her smile. My love was Gabriella and it was obvious.

I watched as he bit the bottom of her lip. I felt her hand bring my head closer to hers, which gave me some form of relief that she wanted this as much as me. Our lips met for the first time in a gentle kiss, full of adoration. It was perfect. I gently rolled her on top of me, not wanting to worry about hurting her. Pulling back, we looked at each other and smiled. Life was perfect.

**Sorry it took so long, I'm having a bit of writers block with all of my stories. Hope you enjoyed it. Leave suggestions and reviews if you want.**


	14. Chapter 14

The Silent Girl

**Gabriella's Pov:**

I couldn't believe what was happening. My chest heaved up and down rapidly as I tried to catch my breath. When Troy looked out into the ocean for only a second, I tried to wake myself up from this dream. Millions of questions were running through my mind. Why would he be interested in me? What could he possibly see in me? His face turned back to me and all I could see were those two bright cobalt eyes.

I smiled down at him as he pulled me closer. It's weird how even though I've never experienced a relationship, some instincts are coming naturally to me. I may sound ridiculous and stupid, but today was my first kiss. Nobody ever showed interest in me until now. It feels good just to be wanted. It feels good to want someone.

My hands kind of have minds of their own right now. I couldn't resist not touching him. He didn't seem to mind either as I traced the muscles on his arms. After running my hands through his hair, I settled them on his face. With my finger tips, I caressed the small stubble on his chin and along his cheek.

"We're gonna have to go back soon." Troy said as soon as my fingers got to his lips. It seemed like we got here just minutes ago, when really it was hours. The tide was beginning to rise as the afternoon came. Though we were on a high rock, the waves came to our feet.

"Can't we stay a few more minutes?" I said quietly, not wanting to ruin the moment. Without any warning, he turned on his side, taking me with him. His left leg secured itself around my upper thigh. I have to admit, even though we were laying on the rock, it was very comfortable. My head went to his throat, immediately feeling the vibrations that I became so accustomed to in a matter of hours. I could feel Troy's hand play with my hair as the cool water ran over our feet. Then all of a sudden, the vibrations stopped completely. I whimpered as my hand flew up to his throat. I don't know why, but the simple feeling, calmed me. When the feeling didn't return for a good five minutes, I looked up.

"As much I don't want to get up, we have to. They're bound to come looking for us soon, Sweetheart." My stomach turned into one big knot as I read the new nickname. It was times like these where I when I wish I could hear his voice. His leg untangled itself from my waist. Suddenly, I was cold. I no longer had the warmth that radiated off his skin. I felt a sense of sadness when I wasn't in immediate contact with him when I sat up. This is getting too much. I am too attached to him, this isn't good.

"What if I don't want to go back?" I pulled knees to my chest and rested my arms around my legs. It was perfect here, just me and him. I felt him grab my wrist, but I didn't dare turn to face him. He probably thought I was being ridiculous. No human being could live here forever. All of a sudden, the sun was blocked from my face, signally that he probably stood up. I hated this. The past few days I've been feeling as if I didn't want to be deaf anymore. It's getting harder and harder to deal. One minute he was behind me and the next he was crouched in front of me.

'_Where is this coming from? Talk to me.'_ I couldn't help but give a slight smile as he signed the words to me perfectly. I looked down not wanting to look him in the eyes.

"It's just so perfect here. There's no one to make fun of me. No one to say those stupid things that shouldn't hurt me anymore, but still do. I just want to be normal. What happens tomorrow? We go to school and they make fun of us. They'll say those snotty remarks about how could anyone like me? Or why would anyone want me? It just hurts me so much, I can't take it anymore." By this time, tears were streaming down my face. Troy took care of those in a matter of seconds, but I still felt ashamed. He lifted my head with his index finger.

"You can't hide out here for the rest of your life. Think of all the people who will miss you. Our friends will start to worry, you mom will most likely call the police. People do care about you. There might be jerks in the world, but trust me when I say this. I will always…"he paused for a moment before speaking again. "I will always love you and that's not about to change. Not now, not ever. If people still have the nerve to say something, let them. You know why?" I shook my head. "Because you my dear, are better than them. Show them that what they say doesn't bother you. Show them that they are the ones who have problems. Not you. You are perfect. Don't let anyone make you think otherwise." I couldn't help but jump into his arms after he said that.

Thankfully, he caught me; otherwise we would have been swimming with the fish. My legs wrapped around his waist as his hand held my head to his shoulder. He understood me. He heard me. For a deaf person, that's the greatest feeling in the world- to be heard.

Pulling away from him, I couldn't help but place a kiss on his cheek followed by one on his lips. "Remember what Eleanor Roosevelt said?" I was confused as to why he was asking. What does she have to do with anything? I sniffled as he wiped my tears away with his extra hand.

"No." I whimpered.

He placed a kiss on my forehead before answering me. "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." I smiled up at him as he set me down.

"Why don't we get back to our friends?" Troy smiled at me and nodded. He helped me down from the rocks before he got down. I just needed one last moment alone with him before we re-joined our friends.

Turning around, my arms wove around his neck. This time it was him pulled me closer and closer until our lips met in a gentle kiss. We both pulled back in shock. I felt his arms fly up to my arms and grip them tightly as a huge wave crashed over us. He never once let go of me. I was glad; if he did I would have fallen. For a good minute we stared at each other, not knowing what to do. He was covered in seaweed and no doubt so was I.

The minute I gained my voice back, I burst out laughing along with Troy. We had a hard time making it back to the beach. For the most part we were doubled over in laughter pointing at how ridiculous each other looked. Onlookers watched curiously as we approached our friends. They all scrambled to their feet and laughed.

"What happened?" Everyone asked while Taylor signed it to me. I looked up at Troy waiting for him to answer them.

"We uhh kind of got in a fight with a wave." Our friends were speechless. "The wave won." I concluded as I picked a large piece of seaweed off Troy's head. He did the same for me before we turned back to our friends who were not laughing at us.

"Troy, doesn't Gabriella look cold? Too bad her t-shirt is wet and full of sand." Sharpay spoke up, probably thinking I didn't notice her mouth moving. Sharpay is trying really hard to get us together. Little does she know, she doesn't need to. Out of the corner of my eye, I looked at Troy.

"You know what Sharpay? You are absolutely right! I'll get her one of those towels over there." Troy motioned to the towels lying on the blanket.

"You can't those are uh…wet! We all went for a swim and used all the towels. I think your shirt is clean and dry though." Of course it is. Leave it to Sharpay to find a way around it.

**Troy's Pov: **

I walked over to the light blue beach blanket and picked my white t-shirt up. Before placing it on Gabriella's small frame, I picked the last few bits of seaweed out of her hair. The shirt hung off her body and came down to mid thigh. She looked absolutely perfect though.

"It's getting late guys, do you want to head back?" Ryan spoke up as he too put on a shirt. "Yea, we have school tomorrow and I still have to do homework." Zeke admitted while packing up the blanket. Sliding my sandals over to Gabriella, she slipped her tiny feet into them and grabbed my hand.

"Do you want to do something tomorrow after school?" Sharpay's voice caught my attention. I turned to her, but she wasn't looking at me. She was looking at Gabi.

"Sharpay, she just spent the entire weekend with you. Don't you think she deserves a day to rest?" I asked Sharpay who rolled her eyes.

"You just want her all to yourself. We know you like her lover boy. It's obvious, just tell her already." I smiled and shook my head. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Evans." Gabriella and I started walking back to the car. Ryan, Chad, and Zeke already loaded the car and were waiting in it. Sharpay and Taylor are behind us. The sad part is that they aren't aware I can hear their plan to get us together. It was something about locking us in a room together. Not a very bright idea. They already did that for truth or dare. They need to come up with some better ideas.

The long day was starting to take effect on us as we got into the car. Gabriella let out a long sigh after she yawned. Gabriella leaned against my shoulder as we drove home. I couldn't help but wrap my arm around her despite the fact that our friends were in the car with us. Lucky for us, they didn't turn around during the hour we rode in the car to Gabriella's house. I knew we wouldn't be able to say goodbye properly with our friends staring at us, so I got out with her. We said our thank you's and goodbye's to our friends before watching them speed away.

"Troy, thank you so much. I had so much fun." Gabriella said quietly, when we got to her door. "I had fun too. I'm glad you enjoyed it, Brie."

"You want to come in?" The back of my hand rubbed along the side of her face. I watched as she struggled to keep her eyes open. I waited patiently for her eyes to focus on my lips before

"As much as I would like to spend more time with you, I have to head home. My dad is expecting me to give him some sort of explanation as to why there is a lock on the gym door. I'm sure you and your mom have a lot of catching up to do. I'm not very good at the whole girl talk thing." I chuckled and wrapped my arms around her.

"Goodnight Gabriella. I'll be here tomorrow morning, Sweetheart." I placed a kiss on her forehead before unwrapping my arms.

"Goodnight Troy. Thanks again." She said quietly and walked into the house. I turned around and walked home. The smile never leaving my face.

**Gabriella's Pov: **

"Mami?" I called as I put my bags down. All the lights were off downstairs, which was odd because it was only 7:30 or so.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. Flipping it open, it read: _'I'm in the bedroom.'_ I ran up the stairs to her room. She was watching t.v, but as soon as she saw me she turned it off.

"I want to hear all about it." I jumped onto the bed and in front of her.

"I like Troy." I admitted. She smiled at me as if she already knew. "I kissed Troy Mami." Once again, she smiled. "I knew you would. It was only a matter of time." I took a deep breath, preparing myself for what I was about to say. I didn't know how my mother would react to it. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her.

"Mami, I don't want to be deaf anymore. I want to hear his voice. I want to hear your voice. I don't want to be in the dark anymore. I…I heard about something called a cochlear implant. I have a chance Mami. I have a change to be normal." I looked her in the eyes for the first time.

"What makes you think you aren't normal?" She asked me.

"I just want to walk into school not having people whisper things behind my back. I want to be able to hear my friends talk without having a translator. I want to be able to hear Troy's voice when he's talking to me. It's so hard going through life not knowing what your mother sounds like, or even yourself." My emotions were going haywire as tears streamed down my face once again. My mother's eyes brimmed with tears, yet she still held that smile on her face.

"I'll call the doctor first thing in the morning." She told me. She took me in her arms and hugged me. Now the only question is, do I tell Troy or surprise him?

**I am so sorry this took so long. I am just having writers block with all my stories. I think I just needed a little break. Suggestions are very much welcomed. I hope you liked it!**


	15. Chapter 15

The Silent Girl

**Gabriella's Pov:**

I had a hard time falling asleep because I had so many decisions to make by tomorrow. I needed to decide if I was one hundred percent set on getting my hearing back. Sure there would be things that I needed to give up, like the privacy I had when my mother signed to me. If I were able to hear, I don't think my mom and I would have formed such a close bond. Most importantly, I needed to decide if I wanted to tell Troy or surprise him. If I didn't show up to school tomorrow, I knew he would be worried. If I surprised him I'm sure he would wonder why I didn't tell him. I was torn between the two.

Reaching my arms over my head, I stretched, stressed about what decision I was about to make. I looked around my room, trying to make myself drowsy. I probably rolled over about ten times and turned my pillow twenty times just to feel the cool side against my check.

My bed felt smaller today. I was suffocated by the large comforter on the small bed. Perhaps it was just me. I felt on top of the world. I felt bigger than my bed after what happened today. If that was the case, then I'll take it. I would take the small stuffy bed with the lack of sleep if Troy was involved.

Reaching down, I pulled the comforter up to my chin and closed my eyes. I let out a frustrated sigh as I opened my eyes and sat up. Nothing was working. I rubbed the side of my face with my hand before grabbing my phone off my nightstand. Scrolling through my contact list, I came across just the person I needed.

_To Troy:_

_Are you still up?_

_From Gabriella_

I held the phone in both my hands wishing he would respond quickly. God what he was doing to me.

Slipping out of my bed, I grabbed my shoes and put them on. I needed to clear my head. Trying to be as quiet as I could, I opened my balcony doors and walked out. I bit the bottom of my lip as I gingerly climbed over the balcony and onto the tree.

My heart dropped into my stomach as my one of my feet slipped off the branch when my phone began vibrating in my pocket. Steadying myself, I was able to climb down, fairly easily the rest of the way.

As I walked off our property and onto the street, I pulled out my phone and flipped it open. I smiled as I looked down at the words written on the scene. He sure knows how to put a smile on someone's face.

_To Gabriella:_

_Why are you up, my dear?_

_Did you turn nocturnal on me? _

_Can't sleep? _

_From Troy_

I didn't know where I was going. All that guided me was the street lamps. I began typing back to him as I walked along the sidewalk.

_To Troy:_

_I have too much to think about. I can't fall asleep so I decided to take a walk. I hope I didn't wake you._

_From Gabriella_

Looking at the clock on my phone, the light shone ten oclock. He was probably sleeping I am so stupid for waking him up. Of course he was sleeping. I shouldn't have bothered him with my stupid problems.

That's when it hit me. I told him that I had a lot on my mind. Now he is going to wonder what I have to think about. Looking back on my phone, I tried to see if I could un-send it, but the green check mark indicated that he had already read it.

I shivered as the night air became colder. It was practically summer and I still needed a jacket to go out at night. I rubbed my hands up and down my arms, trying to create some form of friction. Feeling my phone vibrate once again, I opened it.

_To Gabriella_

_Are you nuts? _

_Do you realize how dangerous that is? _

_Stay where you are. Coming to get you now. _

_WE ARE TALKING AFTER._

_From Troy_

Great! Just great! First I woke him up, second I made him mad, and third I dragged him out of bed because he thinks he needs to save me. I felt guilty for making him worried. That wasn't my intention, but it made me smile to see how much he cared about me. It made me feel like I wasn't the only one who cared so much. The bad thing is that he is making me have a conversation with him. And I thought I could get away with just having a nice texting conversation.

Slipping my phone into my pocket, I continued to walk. I could see Troy walking towards me as I continued into the moonlight. He smiled at me as soon as he came within five feet of me. Smiling back, I hugged him, taking in his scent. I felt him rub my back as I relaxed into his arms. My worries disappeared in the moonlight as he held me. Everything was forgotten. All the decisions I had yet to make didn't matter anymore. As long as he was with me, I knew everything would be ok.

He pulled away from me, much to my disappointment. I stared up at him, his cobalt eyes twinkling under the streetlamps. "What happened?" As I read his lips, I could only shrug my shoulders and look down. I was ashamed that I tried to keep something as big as this away from him.

Troy's index finger lifted my chin so my eyes were level with his lips. "Are you nervous about school tomorrow?" I could tell he wasn't leaving until he got an answer. As much as I hated to lie to him, I slowly nodded my head. I couldn't look at his eyes, only his lips.

My heart was screaming at me to tell him the truth. He would somehow understand. My head was telling me another thing, though. It was saying to let him be surprised. It would be better this way. He wouldn't try to talk me out of anything. He would just accept it and be ecstatic about it.

"Nothing is going to happen tomorrow. You have nothing to worry about. The basketball team has been suspended and no one is going to say anything. I will make sure of it." I gave him a weak smile and nodded my head before wrapping my arms around his neck and burying my head into his shoulder for the second time. I felt his arms wrap around me as I played with the hairs on the back of his neck.

Pulling away from him, I looked up. He un-wrapped his arms and started signing to me. "Come on. I'll walk you back and I'm not leaving until you're asleep." He took my hand in his and started walking towards my house.

"I can't keep going behind my moms back and not tell her that I have a boy in my room." I tried to speak as quietly as I could. I stopped walking and looked up at him.

"My parents are still up. Why don't we hang out there until we tire you out?" Butterflies swarmed around my stomach as he kissed my forehead. I nodded and we turned around.

He bent down in front of me, wanting me to jump on his back. I of course didn't hesitate. I would never pass up an opportunity to be in his arms. The whole way back my face was snuggled into his shoulder. I couldn't get enough of him.

Troy stopped walking, causing me to look up. We had arrived at his house. This was the first time I every saw it. It was the first time I was going to meet his mother. It was the first time that night that I wanted to go back home.

I felt his hand pat the back of my upper thigh, silently telling me to climb off. I held on tighter to him, my legs locking around his waist. I got the chills when I felt his hand slip under my shirt, gently rubbing my back.

"She won't accept me. I just know she is going to ask all these questions like why would you want a deaf girl. Come on let's just go back to my house." I begged him. I didn't want to be here.

I felt his hand leave my back and move to my legs. He detached them and set me on the ground. I looked up at him on the verge of tears. "My mom really wants to meet you. I kind of bragged to her about how amazing you were. No one is going to judge you." He assured me.

I took a deep breath and held onto his hand rather tightly. He opened the door and we walked in. The house felt warm. Not hot, but welcoming. There was a fire going and pictures of Troy as a little boy all over the walls. I couldn't help but smile at him as I glanced at the one of him holding a tiny basketball. He couldn't have been more than two years old at the time.

Looking around, I found Mr. and Mrs. Bolton in the living room. Both were dressed in pajamas. Mr. Bolton was watching a basketball game on T.V while Mrs. Bolton was reading. It was weird seeing Mr. Bolton in his natural element. I was so used to seeing Mr. Bolton my gym teacher, not Mr. Bolton the regular parent.

Simultaneously, they both looked up as we approached them. I gripped Troy's hand a little tighter as they looked up. Mrs. Bolton put her book down and walked over to me with a smile on her face.

I felt Troy's hand slip from mine as I was engulfed in a tight hug. I wrapped my arms around the older woman, not knowing what else to do. As the hug ended she took both my hands. I looked up at her and gave a shy smile.

"Oh Gabriella you don't know how long I have waited to meet you. It's nice to hear the stories Troy tells us, but it is nothing compared to meeting you in person." I felt nervous as I read her lips.

"Nice to meet you too Mrs. Bolton." I wanted to keep my talking to a minimum. Who knows what I sound like. I am probably making a fool of my self already. "Call me Starla. Oh wait let me get you some tea." I was glad that she finished talking before turned around to get the teapot on the coffee table.

Taking a step back, I secured one of my fingers in the loophole of Troy's jeans. I found myself doing that quite a lot.

"I hope Troy didn't wake you just to bring you here in the middle of the night." Mr. Bolton walked over to us. Smiling, I shook my head and looked up at Troy.

"She felt the need to wander the streets. It was only right to rescue the damsel in distress." I laughed quietly to myself when I saw what Troy had said. Was I really his damsel in distress? Did I mean that much to him?

"Thank you." I said quietly to Mrs. Bolton when she handed me the hot cup of tea. I blew on it before I took a sip. I could feel the hot liquid sun down my throat and into my stomach. It calmed me. It relaxed me.

I was pulled by Troy over to the couch. I still had my fingered secured in one of his belt loops. Sitting down on his lap, I snuggled into his embrace. I looked up at Troy's mom when she sat next to me, obviously wanting to talk to me.

"So how are you, Gabriella?" Mrs. Bolton asked me. I smiled as I felt Troy's hand slip under my shirt to rub my stomach in lazy circles. I slight blush came across my cheeks due to the fact that we were in front of his mother.

"I'm good. We had a long day today." I wanted to keep my speech to the minimum. As I rested my head on Troy's chest, my body started to relax. Troy had that affect on me. I made sure to keep my eyes on Mrs. Bolton just incase to had something to say.

"Yeah, I heard about that. If you had a good time, then it was all worth it though." I nodded my head.

"I had a blast." I smiled up at Troy who gently tickled my stomach. I saw Mrs. Bolton's eyes glace up at Troy. She then patted my leg before standing up.

Troy must have told her that he wanted to be alone because only moments after they said goodnight to us and headed upstairs. It wasn't that I didn't want to talk to her; I just didn't want to make a fool of myself. I didn't want my speech to get sloppy. I didn't want to give them any reason to make fun of me.

When they were out of view, I sat up and turned around on Troy's lap. I straddled him as he pulled me closer to his chest. One of his hands went to the back of my head while his other arm went under my butt. I pressed my head against his throat and sure enough, I felt the vibrations I was waiting to hear all night.

My body was giving into him. My legs and arms became limp. I was fighting the battle to keep my eyes open, but I was loosing. I was succumbing to him.

I no longer was worried about what tomorrow would bring or how I would get home before my mother awoke. I knew in the morning I would be safely tucked into bed with Troy's blanket cocooned around my body if he had the choice. Most importantly, I knew he would keep me safe.

I used all my energy to open my eyes and place a kiss on his throat before my eyes close for the last time that night. If fell asleep a minute earlier, I wouldn't have been able to feel him kiss me back. Life was good and I was happy.

**Troy's Pov: **

I would stay in this position all night if I had the choice. I just wanted Gabriella to be happy. I knew I had to get up soon. I knew I had to have her home just incase her mother woke up in the middle of the night to check on Gabriella. I wanted to make sure she was safely in her bed.

As carefully as I could, I stood up. I didn't want to jostle her in fear that she would wake up and not be able to fall asleep again. I kept humming as I walked out the door. I felt her move in my arms as I walked through the cool night air.

Picking up the pace, I walked quickly, wanting to get to her house as soon as possible. It wasn't far, but it wasn't right next door either. Her house was about seven houses down from mine.

"We're almost there." I whispered to her.

Even though she couldn't hear me, I still felt like she could. Her restlessness disappeared as soon as I said that, giving me the satisfaction of thinking she heard me. It wasn't long until I arrived at her house. Walking into the backyard, I came to my first obstacle of the night. The tree leading up to her bedroom stopped me in my tracks. That was the only option I had to get her inside without her mother seeing. The front door would most likely be locked. I wouldn't have a chance getting her up safely by climbing the tree.

As I walked further into the backyard, I came across the patio door. It wouldn't be open, would it? It was worth a try. My last attempt to gether in safely without her mother seeing. Walking over, I jiggled the door knob. Of course it would be locked. What was I thinking? Reaching into my pocked I began to feel for something that might aid me in opening the door. I felt some quarters, my phone, and my wallet. Reaching in my other pocket, I came across a paper clip. Opening it up, I gently slid it into the lock and jiggled it around. I smiled when I heard that infamous click. Taking the paper clip out, I put it back in my pocket and opened the door. As quietly as I could, I closed the door and made my way upstairs. The floorboards creaked a little as I walked past her mothers closed door. I held in a breath as I gingerly walked towards Gabriella's room. I made it. I closed her door behind me and walked over to the bed. I gently laid Gabriella on the bed and took her shoes off.

After placing them beside her bed, I wrapped her in my blanket before pulling the comforter around her. My hand found its way to her cheek, gently caressing it. Before I left, I placed a kiss on her forehead and whispered goodnight. Walking out of her room, I could only think about tomorrow and how many hours it would be until I would see her.

**Gabriella's Pov: **

I was woken out of a deep sleep by my vibrating phone pressed into my leg by my pocket. I groaned as I reached down not even bothering to open my eyes to retrieve the small yet annoying device. I pried my eyes opened as I flipped open my phone. Troy's name was flashing. It was a text message.

Opening it up, I jumped out of bed as soon as my eyes scanned the words written on the scene. He was outside waiting for me. I looked at the clock before running downstairs, almost tripping in the process. It was already eight o'clock. I made him late.

As I opened the front door, I saw him drinking his coffee while sitting on the hood of his truck. There was another coffee for me next to him, making me feel even worse. When he saw me, I got off his truck. I rushed to him and jumped into his arms.

"I didn't mean to make you late. I'm so sorry. I forgot to tell you last night that I have a doctor's appointment. Gosh I am so stupid. Now you probably have detention for being late. Ugh please forgive me. I'm so sorry Troy!" I felt him rub my back as I held onto him tighter. I looked up at him, guilt written all over my face.

"Have you forgotten whose parent works at the school? It's fine Gabriella. Don't worry about it! What's wrong? Are you sick? Why are you going to the doctor?" He was worried about me. I innocently looked up at him and shrugged my shoulders.

"Well check-up." I said without emotion.

"You scared me there for a minute. I thought something happened to you." He tucked a stray hair behind my ear before kissing me. I closed my eyes, wanting the moment to last forever. Of course it didn't, but a girl can dream, can't she?

"You better head to school now. Don't want to miss homeroom with Ms. Darbus." I teased him.

"Yeah God forbid." I smiled as I read his lips. He pulled me into one last hug before he walked me to the steps.

"See you later Wildcat." He winked at me, making my stomach once again swell with butterflies. I watched him get into his car and drive away. I waved at him before walking back into my house, only to find my mother.

_Oh you're up. I was wondering why the front door was unlocked. I called the doctor and if we leave in an hour, he can take us. Go get dressed and we will leave_. My mother signed to me. I nodded my head and walked upstairs.

I was nervous about today. I knew it would affect my life greatly. Deciding what I wanted to wear wasn't that big of a challenge. I knew I wanted to be comfy so I wore my brand new purple juicy sweat suit. The only thing that was needed for my hair was a brush to get all the tangles out. I slipped on some black sandals and grabbed my purse before heading downstairs.

My mother smiled at me as I walked towards her_. Here goes nothing._ I thought to myself as I walked out the door. The ride there took only about a half hour. We usually didn't talk due to the fact that it was hard for me to see my mother's lips moving as she kept her eyes focused on the road. As we got closer and closer to the hospital I questioned my decision to keep Troy out of this more and more. What was I thinking? I needed him. I wanted him to help me go through this.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw my mother get out of the car. I followed her and took a deep breath. I was scared. We walked hand in hand into the hospital. There weren't many people in there, but it wasn't empty either. I took a seat on one of the green chairs while my mother signed me in and took the forms she needed to fill out.

I tapped my foot anxiously as I waited to be called. I watched the clock ticking away. My mothers hand was felt on my knee, as she stood up from her chair. My eyes followed her as she gave the forms back to the receptionist.

It felt like my phone was burning a hole in my pocket. It wanted me to call Troy. I wanted to call Troy. My mother shook my arm causing me to look up at her. _The doctor is ready for you_, she signed to me. I nodded and stood up.

_Will you come in with me?_ I asked her. She nodded her head and the two of us followed the doctor. I sat on the table while the doctor took a chair and sat in front of me.

"I'm just going to go over some things with you before I take you into surgery." I nodded my head once I read his lips.

"This isn't going to be a magic fix. It will take some time to completely learn how to hear." Wait what was he saying? I'm still going to be somewhat deaf? I guess some hearing is better than none. I nodded my head once again showing that I understood.

"The surgery takes about two to three hours. We are going to make an incision and place small tube like hearing aids in your ear. There may be some discomfort at first, but you are most likely not going to feel any pain." Oh no. They are probably going to give me a numbing needle so I don't feel any pain. I hate needles.

"Am I going to be asleep?" I asked him quietly. The doctor nodded his head and stood up. I watched him pull out a gown and a hair net.

"I need you to put this on. You can use the bathroom. I am just going to go over a few things with your mother." I nodded my head and took the clothes. My hands were shaky as I opened the bathroom door and walked in. I had a lot of trouble taking my clothes off.

After putting the gown and hair net on, I took my cell phone out of my pants pocket. Picking up my clothes, I walked out, grasping my phone tightly in my hand. I gave my phone to my mother and took a seat on the table. There were two doctors in here now. I looked up at the doctor who was talking to me before only to see his smiling face.

"I've called anesthesia. Before you go in for surgery we are going to have it done here." I felt my mother take my phone out of my hand. I felt empty. Troy wasn't with my in any way now. I was alone.

The unfamiliar doctor tapped the needle to get it going before walking over to me. He disinfected my hand and was about to put the needle in. I started to tear. Streams of tears were running down my face. Without any warning, I yanked my hand away.

"Please stop. I can't do this. I..I need Troy here first." I gasped to find my breath. I faintly saw my mother exchange words with the doctor before handing me my cell phone. I quickly opened the phone and typed away.

_To Troy: _

_Please. You need to get to the hospital now! _

_Don't ask questions. I need you. Xox _

_From Gabriella_

I looked up at the two doctors, ashamed of how I acted in front of them.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I never talked it over with my boyfriend. I need him here." I said quietly.

"It's not a problem, Gabriella. We all know that this has to be scary for you. You can have all the time you need. We will wait."

That's the sentence that made me think. I didn't have to go through with this. The doctors will always be here. There is no rush. I could do this tomorrow, or even a year from tomorrow. But the thing is, deep down if I walked out those doors, I knew I would never come back. It's now or never.

**Sorry it took so long guys! I am a camp counselor for three year old girls so you can just imagine how tired I am by the end of the day. I hope you enjoyed this one. I tried to make it longer. Review and leave suggestions please. What do you want to see in the next chapter?**


	16. Chapter 16

The Silent Girl

**Gabriella's Pov:**

I watched the clock silently as minutes and seconds flew by. With each passing minute, I checked my phone, afraid he wouldn't show up. He was late. Maybe he wasn't coming, or couldn't get out of school. Or maybe it was because he didn't want to come.

Were we at that point in our relationship where I can call him for any tiny little unimportant thing and have him rush over here? The real question here is would he want to?

I looked down from the clock for the first time in an hour and fiddled with the hem of my shirt. It shouldn't be taking him this long. It's not like the school is an hour away. My eyebrows knitted together as I watched out of the corner of my eye as the nurses around me continue to set up the station. As if it was only mere minutes ago that I wasn't rejecting the treatment.

My mother's hands covered my own, stopping me from fiddling with my shirt. I looked up at her, nervous for what she might say. "Mija. He will be here. Stop worrying." I smiled and nodded, not one hundred percent sure, but at least someone else had more faith.

"Am I wrong to do this, Mom?" It was this time that I realized, I had never really asked her opinion. Here I am asking my newly found boyfriend to rush over here from school, while my best friend was standing right in front of me, ready to hold my hand.

"Oh Mija. You are absolutely right to do this. If you want to do it for all the reasons you have told me, then you are absolutely right. It's when you start second guessing yourself you end up coming up with the wrong answer." I nodded my head, taking in a deep breath. My mother kissed me on my forehead before leaving the room. All I could do was stare at the door, hoping the right person would show up.

One nurse touched my arm, making me jump slightly. Turning around, I was met with her moving lips. "Honey, you have a choice to be awake or asleep for the procedure. What will it be?" She stared at me, needle in hand. I blinked at her, not knowing what to say. I shifted in my on the table, uncomfortable with making that kind of decision.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know. I'm not so sure I want to go through with this." Did I have to spell it out for her? She was in the room when I had told the doctor.

"Of course you should. Do you realize people would give anything just to hear again?" Was this woman serious? Obviously she has never been in my position before. Who does she think she is telling me that? She doesn't have any proof.

I continued to stare absent mindedly at her. She tapped the needle with her finger waiting for me to respond. I opened my mouth, ready to speak, but nothing came out.

My body shook, startled, as arms wrapped around me. My head was pushed into someone's chest. The only sound from my mouth was a gasp and a whimper. I struggled against this stranger, trying my best to push my hands against him, wanting his arms to release. If anything, their arms got tighter as I struggled.

Taking a deep breath, ready to start screaming, I sighed. I knew that smell all too well. I knew these arms like the back of my hand. I knew that comforting feeling when I was surrounded by him.

My eyes traveled from his basketball sneakers, to his wildcat uniform. They traveled from his blue eyes up to his brown tresses sticking out in every which way, but somehow seemed to look perfect. Looking back at his face, I found his concerned blue eyes staring down at me.

I couldn't help but weave my arms around his neck and dig my face in his shirt. I didn't want to make anymore decisions. I found myself wanting him to make them for me. I just didn't know what to do.

I felt his throat vibrate from either talking or humming, I didn't know. His hand weaved its way though my tangled hair. My breath hitched in my throat and my eyes swelled with tears. He held onto me tighter and that's when I knew, everything would work itself out – eventually.

**Troy's Pov: **

"Ok Wildcats line up." I yelled across the gym. My dad had some paper work to go over, so I was in charge of coaching today. He had said it would only take ten minutes and then he would take over, but here we are more than half way done with the class and he is still a no-show.

As I looked back at them, I realized that it wasn't much of a team. The gym was closed to any basketball player who had made fun of Gabriella. Five of us were left, which is a real shame.

"Captain, your phone is ringing." Jason yelled from across the court. _'uhoh,'_ I thought to myself. The only people who would be calling would be my mother or Gabriella. My mom usually calls my dad, though.

"Start shooting some hoops for a couple of minutes." I ran over to the bleachers, where all our backpacks were lined up. Grabbing mine, I searched through each compartment.

What a time to loose your phone. "God damn it!" I groaned frustrated and dumped the contents of my backpack on the gym floor. My phone, of course, was the last item to come tumbling out. That and one of Gabriella's lip glosses, which I, honest to god, had no idea how that got there.

Grabbing the phone from the floor, I opened it, not really carrying about putting my books back in my bag. I grasped the phone tightly as I read her message.

To Troy:

Please you need to get to the hospital now!

Don't ask questions. I need you. Xox

From Gabriella.

I froze. For a minute I didn't know what to do. Well, I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to call her, but I knew I couldn't do that. Shoving everything back into my bag, I gathered my stuff and rushed across the gym.

"Captain what's up?" I vaguely heard one of the guys say.

Pushing the door open, I rushed into my dad's office. He sat at his desk, calmly on the phone, his feet on top of his paperwork. When he saw me, he briefly said goodbye and hung up the phone.

"What's up, Troy?" He asked nonchalant. I couldn't speak. I couldn't think of the right words.

Shoving my phone into his hands, I simply told him to read. He scanned the page briefly before handing the phone back to me. I watched him take out a piece of paper along with a pen and began writing. Could he go any slower? It must have been me, because it looked like he was moving in slow motion. Maybe I was just anxious to get to Gabriella.

"Don't get into a car wreck over it! She'll be fine." He said as he handed me the lime green sticky note. He didn't know if she would be fine. Grabbing it from him, I briefly thanked him before running out the door. It was times like these where I am glad my father works in the school.

Walking into the office, I gave the receptionist the piece of paper. She nodded and pushed a sign-out sheet in front of my face. I didn't have time to fill this out. Sighing I glanced at the clock and watched the seconds tick by. Taking the pen from her hand, I went to scribble my name. Nothing came out of the pen. This is just my luck.

"Can I have a different pen?" I set the pen on her desk, took the other one from her hand, and wrote down my name and time of departure. Without bothering to fill out my reason for leaving, I gave her the forms and rushed out the door – in the pouring rain. Everything seemed to be against me today.

Running to my car, I got in and started it. While checking my phone for any other messages, I got an idea. Gabriella had used my phone a couple of days ago to call her mother. I skimmed through my recently dialed calls until I came to the right number.

Pressing the little green button, I waited impatiently for her to pick up. "Hello?" Oh thank god she answered. "Mrs. Montez! What's going on with Gabi? Is she ok? Why is she at the hospital?" I couldn't get all the questions out fast enough. My head was spinning. There was a pause on the other end.

"Please Mrs. Montez, tell me." I tried to reason with her.

"Troy, I am sorry. I can't tell you. She has to do that. Don't worry, though. She is ok. Physically and mentally she is ok." This made me relax, but not by much. There was still something wrong with her.

"What about emotionally? Why would she be at the hospital?" There was another pause as I waited for her to answer. Truth was I didn't need an answer to that question. I knew deep down she wasn't ok. I just wanted to believe she was. I wanted to hear that she was ok, even though I knew she wasn't.

"She is just having some trouble making up her mind on a couple of things." Sighing, I started the car and began to drive out of the parking lot. The hospital wasn't far. It was only about a fifteen minute drive or so. Even though it was raining, I sped. I couldn't help it. It was like my foot weighed a hundred pound stuck on the gas pedal.

"What happened?" I whispered. I heard a long sigh on the other end of the phone.

"She's getting the surgery, Troy. You didn't hear it from me." I could hear her voice breaking. Gripping the steering wheel tighter, I went a little faster, hoping that that weren't any cops around.

"I'll be there in two minutes." I said emotionless. I hung up the phone and threw it on the seat. I didn't know what to think. Why would she do this? Why wouldn't she tell me?

Determined on getting to the hospital, I focused on driving. Sure enough, two minutes later I was pulling into a parking spot- the one farthest from the entrance. My luck couldn't get any worse. After almost getting hit by a car, due to sprinting without watching, I walked into the hospital doors.

"Please, Gabriella Montez's room." I said to the receptionist. She looked up from her computer and adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose. Her eyes switched back to the computer where she began clicking aimlessly. I tapped my fingers on the counter impatiently. "Room 114. Follow the signs." The old woman said in a monotone voice.

Walking quickly down the hallway, I followed the signs like she had told me. "Oh Troy! Good you're here." Turning around, I was met with Ms. Montez's face. I had completely passed her, only worried about finding Gabi.

"Ms. Montez. Where is she?" I rubbed the back of my neck as I waited for an answer.

"Four rooms down on your right. I'll be right back, I'm just going to get a cup of coffee and make a phone call. You want anything?" I shook my head and politely declined her offer. Both of us went our separate ways, only me in more of a hurry. _'Four rooms down on the right.'_ I repeated to myself.

Sucking in a deep breath, I opened the door. My heart broke. She sat on the doctors table. I vaguely heard one of the nurses ask if she wanted to be put to sleep or be awake.

Rushing up to her, I wrapped my arms tightly around her small, slim frame. With one hand, I pushed her head into my chest. She struggled against me. Her body shook with fear, making me feel even worse. How could I be so stupid? I held onto her tighter, not wanting to scare her.

"I'm sorry baby girl. I didn't mean to scare you. It's just me baby. It's just me." I said over and over. It wasn't until one of the nurses looked at me did I stop talking. I couldn't believe what I had just done. She couldn't hear me. She didn't know who I was. She was scared to death.

I felt her body calm as her eyes moved towards my face. Her whole body became limp when she got to my face. Her hands wrapped around my neck, pulling me close. She snuggled her head into my sweatshirt-covered chest.

"Can we please have a minute alone?" I gruffly said to the nurses. Stopping what they were doing, they walked out without another word. The last one who left closed the door behind them. Turning my attention back to Gabriella, I gently lifted her from the table. One of my hands went just under her butt, while the other secured her head to my chest.

Walking over to the chairs in the corner of the room, I sat down, with her on my lap. We stayed like that for well over twenty minutes. I wanted to give her that secure feeling for as long as I could.

"Are you mad at me for pulling you out of school?" Her muffled voice was heard faintly as I adjusted her to see her face. I wasn't mad at her for pulling me out of school. I was mad at her for not telling me what was going on. Well, I wouldn't call it mad. I don't think I could ever be mad at her.

"I'm not mad. I'm just confused and worried. Tell me what's going on Princess?" I made sure her eyes were on my as I spoke to her. I watched her look down after I finished speaking. Her cheeks were now a shade of rose. She had no reason to be embarrassed.

"I want to get the surgery." She turned her face into the crook of my neck. After kissing her head, I gently lifted her head so she could see my face.

"Surgery for what?" Truth be told, I had a good idea for what the surgery might be about.

"So I can hear. I want to hear your voice and my moms. I want to be able to walk into school hearing what people are saying. I want to be normal. I thought I could surprise you, but I don't think I can go through with it now. I'm scared." Just as I had thought. The truth was I didn't want her to be normal. To me, she is perfect.

"Gabriella, I understand you wanting to hear our voices, but don't think for one second you aren't normal. You are perfect in my eyes. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." My hands grasped both sides of her face.

"So you don't want me to get the surgery?" I was torn. One part of me was selfish and did want her to get it, while the other didn't. I was afraid we would lose the intimate and unique relationship we already have.

"I love the fact that we sort of have our own language. If you get the procedure, you are going to lose a lot of things that you will miss. On the other hand, a part of me wants you to hear. It's not because I want you to hear my voice, I couldn't care less about that. I don't want you to regret your decision. The hardest thing for me would be if I talked you out of it. If you do go through with it, you have to promise me one thing." I moved a stray piece of hair out of her eyes. They filled up with tears making me feel even worse for making her cry.

"What, Troy?" Her voice was soft and pure.

"You have to promise me that we will still be the same people. You and I will still talk in sign language sometimes. I'll probably miss that more than anything. I don't want you to forget who you once were." Wiping a falling tear from her eyes, she nodded her head frivolously.

"I was going to talk to you about the same thing. I can't let that part of me go." Using my index finger and thumb, I brought her face closer to mine. Leaning in, I placed a gentle kiss on her lips. She weaved her hands though my hair as she turned around in my lap, never once breaking the kiss. After a minute, she pulled away, our lips now only a centimeter away.

"You have to promise me one thing too." Her hot breath on my face sent chills throughout my body.

"Anything," I whispered back. She leaned into kiss me one more time before speaking.

"You won't leave me. While I am getting the surgery, you won't leave me. I'm scared." Her voice broke as she whispered those words to me.

"I'll never leave you." I meant that in more way than one. I had no intention of leaving her while she got the surgery. And in the future, I didn't plan on leaving her either.

She smiled at me and laid her head on my shoulder. Her face turned towards the door. "Ok dear, have you made a decision?" Turning my head to the opening door, three nurses and one doctor walked in. I felt her nod against me and pull away.

Although she stood up, she never once made an attempt to let go of my hand. "I'm going to go through with it. Can my boyfriend stay in the room with me? "I felt a sense of pride when Gabriella referred to me as her boyfriend. It sounded perfect coming out of her mouth.

"Of course. We are just going to have you lay down on the table. You want to be asleep, right?" I didn't like the idea of her being put to sleep. So many things could go wrong. I wanted to be the one to comfort her every step of the way.

"I want to be awake if that's ok." I let out a breath; I didn't know I was holding when she responded. She had a death grip on me as she climbed onto the table and laid down.

"Where is the best place for me to sit?" I asked the doctor. He smiled at me and wheeled a rolling chair over to me right by Gabriella's head. He went to wash his hands while two nurses came over. One of them had a needle in her hand while the other went to hold Gabriella's legs.

"Do you mind translating for us?" The nurse with the needle asked me. I shook my head and smiled at her. Gabriella's head was facing mine.

"Ok, we are going to need her to stay very still. We need to give her a numbing needle, since she will be awake." I looked at the needle in her hand. It was very long. I nodded my head and signed to Gabriella. _'Don't move, ok? She needs to give you a needle.' _ Her eyes started to tear again.

She started to bite her lip as she nodded. The nurse cleaned the area just below her ear before getting ready to prick her. I couldn't take it.

Securing one hand to the back of her neck, keeping it still, I kissed her wanting to take her mind off the needle. As soon as the needle went in, she bit down on my lip. With my free hand I rubbed the side of her cheek with the back of my hand.

"It hurts." She whispered to me after we broke away from the kiss. I couldn't take seeing her in pain.

"It's almost over baby." I held her tighter as the nurse pulled the needle out.

"We need to give that about four or five minutes for it to take effect. She left the room, leaving the doctor and the one nurse there.

"What do you want to do after this?" I wanted to get her mind off what was happening. And it that meant asking her nonsense questions then so be it.

"I don't know. I'm so tired. I didn't sleep so well last night." I didn't understand how she could have kept this a secret from me.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I whispered to her. The doctor was setting up a table on the other side of her.

"A part of me wanted to surprise you, so I thought I would be able to go through this by myself. I ended up making myself so worried, I wasn't able to sleep." I nodded my head and gave her a sad smile.

"All right, just tell her not to move. The whole procedure takes about two hours. When I am all done, I will give you a heads up when I am going to turn it on. Be prepared, though, she will get scared at all the noises." I nodded my head and turned my attention back to Gabriella.

'_He's going to start. Try your best not to move.'_ I mouthed to her. Just incase she did, I kept my hand on the back of her neck. With my other hand, I stroked her hair as the doctor worked.

Her eyes became heavy and her body became limp. It was better this way. If she was asleep, there was less chance of her moving. There was less change of her getting scared.

"So uh how long have you two been going out?" The doctor suddenly asked me. Shouldn't he be focused on what he's doing?

"About a week or so." I didn't feel like he needed to know the exact amount of time. Something's are meant to be kept private.

"She's a keeper. She really depends on you. When we were ready for this about an hour and a half ago, she wouldn't let me do anything until you were here." My smile stretched across my face.

"She's definitely a keeper." That was the last thing we said throughout the whole procedure.

"Ok, well if you are ready you can wake her up." I nodded and took a deep breath. This would be the last time she would be deaf. She would be able to hear me when we weren't facing each other. I would be able to talk to her from downstairs even if she was upstairs.

"Baby, wake up." I gently shook her arm and kissed her forehead. She mumbled something incoherent as she turned onto her back. Her arms rose above her head, stretching her body as her eyes fluttered open. Helping her sit up, she took my hand in hers. Gabriella pulled her legs up to her chest as she looked at the doctor.

"Did it work?" She questioned him. It was three words that meant so much. Truth be told I don't know if I was ready for him to turn it on.

I watched as the doctor used a special instrument to enter her ear. He turned it and retracted it quickly. Gabriella pulled her hand from mine. Her hands covered her ears almost instantly.

"Turn it off! Turn it off!" I also held my hands up to her ears.

"Shh Shh Baby Girl. It's ok. You're just not used to it." She broke down crying and buried her head in my chest. I kissed her head and held her. It was the only thing I could do at the moment. The worst part of all was that I was afraid she regretted it.

**I hope you all liked it. Leave suggestions for next chapter. What do you want to happen? Do you want anything to happen between Troy and Gabriella? Tell me what you think.**


	17. Chapter 17

The Silent Girl

**Ok everyone must be wondering what took me so long. After going on vacation and only spending two days in school, I came down with pneumonia. I am still very sick and am trying to write a little each day. I hope I made up for it by giving you guys a long chapter.**

**Troy's Pov:**

I didn't know when it was, but sometime after I arrived and the end of Gabriella's surgery, Maria came back into the room. I guess I was so wrapped up in what was happening, I didn't even notice her sitting quietly on her chair.

Gabriella, now sitting on my lap, leaned her head against my chest while the other ear was exposed to all the noise. I felt her flinch every time something made noise. Every time, someone coughed, sneezed, or cried from the other rooms, she shrunk back in fear. It hurt to see her like this – so scared. And as much as I wanted to, I couldn't help her at the moment.

Using my extra hand that wasn't supporting her weight, I covered her exposed ear. Her whimpers died down and she soon became quiet, like she was used to her world being. The doctor had said he would give us some time before he would go over some important information with us. He never left the room though. He was sitting on his chair, off to the side watching Gabriella's every move.

As much as Gabriella begged him, he didn't turn it off. It was more like I didn't let him.

Behind Gabriella's back I was siding with the doctor. I didn't want her to think she made a mistake by going through with this. She was just scared of all the new noises she was hearing, not because of anything else.

The room was quiet for the most part. I felt Gabriella press her hear harder into my chest. I looked down to see her looking up at me. With the back of my hand, I gently rubbed the side of her face

"What's that noise?" She asked me as she rested her hand on my chest. Total and complete joy was felt throughout my body. I had a new found love being able to experience these new things with her.

"My heartbeat." I smiled as I kissed her forehead. She began reaching her hand up to my face, her fingertips gently tracing my lips. Not really knowing what she wanted, I smirked. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Maria giving me and her daughter a questioning look.

"What is it?" I mouthed to Gabriella before pressing my lips to her fingers. She smiled and retracted her hand.

"It's so good to hear your voice." She wrapped her hands around my neck. After hugging her back, the doctor wheeled his chair over to us.

"Ok. Ms. Montez, would you please come over here so all four of us can talk?" She smiled and stood by me, playing with her daughters' hair.

"Gabriella only has about sixty percent of her hearing right now. With a cochlear implant, you have to learn to hear with it. With that, she may be able to get as much as 85 percent of her hearing back." Gabriella was quiet as he explained to her. I wanted to badly to know what she was thinking. My phone buzzed in my pocket, scaring the living daylights out of Gabriella.

"Shh. It's just my phone." Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the slim phone. While Maria asked the doctor her questions, I proceeded to flip open my phone. It was from my mother, which could never be good.

_Troy, _

_Please Remember about our Vacation. _

_We leave in a week. _

_You may invite one friend. _

_Mom_

I beamed as I read her text message. The truth was, I had forgotten about our annual vacation. Every summer we would rent a house someplace where we would all agree on. This year was Hawaii and I could not wait. I knew just the friend to pick. It would be perfect. Slipping my phone back into my pocket, I turned my attention back to the doctor.

"Will she be able to do normal things like swimming and showering?" I felt sort of stupid for asking because he looked at me weirdly, but I shook it off. "Well like I said before, she will be able to do anything she normally can do. If you're asking about the cochlear implant getting wet, than that is fine. No damage will be done. However, for the first four weeks her incision cannot get wet. If it does, it raises the risk of her getting an infection." I nodded my head and looked down to see Gabriella covering her ear again. Something must be bothering her.

"Do you have any last questions?" The doctor looked at Gabriella who didn't seem to acknowledge him. Using a little bit of force, I pull her hand away.

"Do you have any questions for him?" I asked her. She nodded her head and turned her body around to face the doctor. Gabriella struggled against me, trying to get her hand free. As much as I didn't want to, I let it go. She immediately re-covered her ear and stared straight the doctor.

"Please turn it off." Her voice cracked as she asked him. It was heartbreaking. The doctor glanced at me before answering Gabriella.

"Gabriella, I am not going to turn them off. Wait a couple of weeks and if you still feel like you don't want this, then come back. I will have no problem turning them off then, ok?" I watched silently as Gabriella sadly nodded.

Standing up, I set Gabi on her feet and pushed her towards the open arms of her mother. After thanking the doctor, I waited patiently for Gabriella and Maria to finish hugging.

"We should head home. It's been a big day." I offered as the two broke away. Gabriella attached herself to my arm. She hesitated as we stepped out of the room and into the waiting room. "Nothing's going to happen." I reassured her as she gripped onto me tighter.

We walked out of the hospital only to be met with the hustle and bustle of the real world. Cars honked; sirens were going off left and right, and let's not forget about that oh too familiar pissed off driver who was yelling at the next car who cut him off. Gabriella stepped back into my chest. Her breathing became labored as she looked at her surroundings.

As soon as Maria heard her daughter gasp, she walked over to us. "I want her to go in your car. I think she will feel better if she went in your car." I nodded my head and gave her a hug.

"Well meet you at the house. Is there anything you want us to pick up?" I asked her as I looked through my pockets to find my car keys.

"No thank you, Troy. I'll pick up a pizza, is that ok with you?" I nodded and smiled before walking towards my car with Gabriella. It wasn't until she had mentioned it that I remembered I had come straight from school.

After opening the car door for her and letting her sit down, I had to pry my arm from her. She had a death grip on me that didn't seem like she was going to let go any time soon.

"Baby, you got to let go. I'm not going anywhere. The most you are going to hear right now, is the car door close." I watched as she bit her lip and nodded. The grasp she had on my shirt seemed to slip through her fingers as she relaxed on the seat. She grabbed the seatbelt and fastened it, jumping slightly when it secured. I tried my best not to slam the door, but I had to close it with just enough force so it was closed correctly.

Peering in the window, she immediately sat up and looked at me. Her hands flew up to her ears, making me feel even worse about what I had just done. Jogging around to the other side of the car, I slipped into the driver's side. Taking her hand in mine, I squeezed it as I shut my side of the door.

"That hurt." Gabriella said as she rubbed the side of her face. She looked exhausted as her eyes met mine. They were fighting to stay open.

"I think you're just a bit tender from the surgery. And I think all the noises are coming as a shock to you. How about we go home, lay on the couch and watch a movie?" I asked her as I started the car and backed out of the parking spot. No doubt, her mother was probably halfway home by now. It was a while before she had answered me. We had gotten out of the parking lot and started towards Gabriella's house.

"It's so weird hearing your voice and everything around me. It's exhausting." I chuckled as she continued to speak. "Is there anything I can take for the pain?" I looked around the car for the little lag the doctor had given me before we left.

"Yea, you mother must have your prescription." I told her as I came to a red light.

"Right now all I really need is quiet. It's too much for me." Leaning over, I kissed her cheek before the light turned green. Her head fell against the window as she stared at everything we passed. She looked so sad, so scared.

"I'm going to get you some peace and quiet. I promise." I whispered. She made no acknowledgment that she heard me, so I assumed she didn't. She didn't so much as nod her head. The doctor had said only got 60 percent of her hearing back. But that was ok with me. That was perfect.

Detaching my hand form hers, I rested it on her left knee. In a soothing motion, I rubbed my hand up and down her thigh. Subconsciously she relaxed, her legs opened wider. My hands rubbed higher and higher on her thigh. My fingers gently rubbed circles on her inner upper thigh. A small moan escaped her lips. Looking over at her, I noticed she had covered her mouth. Her eyes were wide in surprise.

"Nothing to be ashamed of, Baby girl." Pulling my hand away I turned onto her street, or I should say our.

"That felt good." She said quietly, almost in a whisper. I smiled and returned my hand for the duration of the ride. Gabriella put her hand on top of my when I pulled into the driveway. She looked fearfully at her house.

"Come on." Releasing my hand from hers, I got out of the car and opened Gabriella's door. She gave a soft thanks before getting out of the car and gripping onto my hand. Her grip tightened as I slammed the car door shut.

Upon walking into the house, we were met with the smell of pizza. Gabriella slipped her hand from mine. It was almost like she was seeing her house for the first time – seeing her house in a different light. I followed her as she walked into the kitchen.

"Oh good, you two are here. I hope you're hungry because I have two pies." Gabriella immediately went to her mother and collapsed into her arms. Staying only for a second to experience the sweet encounter, I decided to give them some space.

Backing out of the room, I walked upstairs and pulled out my phone. I had four missed calls…from my mother. I guess I put her through enough worry. Sighing, I dialed our house number and waited for my frantic mother to answer.

"Troy, why didn't you answer your phone? Your father told me Gabriella was in the hospital. What happened? Is she ok?" I laughed and let her continue her little rant before answering.

"Mom calm down. I would say she's fine. She got a cochlear implant." I walked around Gabriella's room looking at her photos that I'm sure were carefully placed at one point.

"Oh my. That must have been scary. Does she still want to come with us to Hawaii?" I smiled as I reached the picture on her nightstand. Gabriella lay sleeping on my chest out on the hammock. Maria must have taken this.

"Yea, she's freaking out. I haven't asked her yet. I want to ask Maria before I get Gabi's hopes up. I don't know how Gabriella is going to like all the noise of the airport and plane though." Sitting on her bed, I rubbed the back of my neck. I was exhausted.

"Troy what are you waiting for? We leave the day after tomorrow. I want it done before you come home." Now I have even more pressure on me. "I know. I just need to figure out how to tell her she will miss the last week of school." I sighed.

"Alright, I'll see you at home." We said our goodbyes before I slipped the phone back in my pocket. Walking back downstairs, I was only met with Maria setting the kitchen table.

"Where's Gabriella, Ms. Montez?" She looked at me confused and then set the last plate on the table. "She told me she was going into the living room with you." Peering into the living room, I didn't see her.

"I was upstairs." We both looked at each other wide-eyed before rushing out of the kitchen. "You check around here, I'll check up stairs." She nodded and I ran up the steps.

**Gabriella's Pov: **

Immediately, I knew when Troy had left the room. I no longer felt safe and secure. Sure I was in my mothers arms, but it's different when it's Troy's. Compared to me or my mother, he's a lot bigger. With him I have nothing to worry about. When I broke away from the hug with my mom, I stood next to the counter as she returned to what she was doing.

I watched her open the cabinets, to retrieve the dinner plates. They made a loud sound as she pulled the dished down. Jumping slightly, I started slowly walking towards the door.

Where did Troy say he was going again? The timer on the oven went off, making me almost jump out of my skin. Her getting the cups was a different story. She dropped one of the plastic cups, resulting in a loud band.

"I'm uh just going to go with Troy into the living room." I wanted to get out of the room as soon as possible. I wanted to find a nice quiet place. \

"Sure Sweetie, just don't go too far. Dinner is going to be ready in ten minutes." I nodded my head and slipped out of the kitchen. While my mom's back was turned, I quietly walked down to the basement, closing the door behind me. I could still hear my mom moving about the kitchen from my spot in the basement.

Walking through another set of doors, I found myself in the laundry room. My feet squished into the soft white carpet. Reaching over the top of the dryer, I turned it on, even though there was nothing in it. I wanted to block out all sounds. I couldn't take it anymore. It was all too much.

I jumped, startled by the loud noise of the dryer. I hope they can't hear it from upstairs. My back pressed against the dryer as I slid down. My body was worn out from the day. I had finally gotten what I was looking for – quiet. The dryer did the trick.

Pulling over a yet to be put away basket of blankets, I dumped them out. My body lay against the dryer. My head was supported by the mound of blankets, but was still touching the dryer.

I got a familiar feeling. Almost as if I had experienced it before. It was a soothing one, a comforting one. Where had I felt it before? My eyes became heavy, making it hard to fight to keep them open. No longer did I worry about my mom or Troy. I no longer worried about who would find me, or if they were worried. I knew I should have told someone, but for right now, I didn't want anyone to find me. I wanted to have my silence.

My eyes soon closed, slowly losing the fight. I was succumbing to that soothing vibrating feeling. That's when it hit me. My eyes snapped open. I suddenly remembered. I remember the vibrations. I remember the countless times I had fallen asleep to the soothing feeling multiple times before.

More importantly, I was used to being in the warmth of his arms. Pushing myself as close to the dryer as I could, I once again succumbed to the vibrations. The heat given off gave me that secure feeling of being in Troy's arms. The fight was over and I was not the winner. My eyes closed shut and I gently drifted off to sleep.

**Troy's Pov: **

I frantically searched every possible place she could be upstairs, but no such luck. I had expected her to be in her mother's room or at least a bathroom. I must have rechecked every place times.

"Maria, did you find her?" I called down as I descended quickly down the stairs. Her white face showed only worry. I knew her answer. It didn't have to be spoken.

"I even checked outside." I was desperate. I started to search every door on the main floor. I quickly looked in each one as I went along and closed the door in aggravation. One of the doors I came to made me stop in my tracks.

"You don't think she went down to the basement do you?" Maria rushed over to me. "I would have heard her. What would she be doing down there?" I descended two of the twelve steps to the basement. She stood behind me.

"I don't remember turning the dryer on. I thought I finished my last load this afternoon." That was all I needed. Rushing down the stairs two steps at a time, I followed the noise to the laundry room.

Swinging the doors open, that was a sight to see. It stopped me dead in my tracks. Looking back at Maria, I found her staring teary-eyed with her hand over my mouth. Backing away from the door, I closed it behind me so Gabriella would wake up.

"You take care of this Troy. She needs you right now." I shook my head. It shouldn't be like this.

"She probably wants her mother. She's scared shitless. You're her best friend Ms. Montez." Honestly, I had no idea how to deal with this situation. It made me rethink today. Was it worth it? Was it worth to have her miserable?

"Troy, you fill a void in her life that I no can't nor have ever been able to fill. Trust me when I say this. The thing she needs right now is your comfort. She needs you to be there for her. I'm not blaming you, but had you been down there, she probably wouldn't have left. Imagine if you lived in silence for your whole life. Imagine how scared you would be to suddenly hear all of these noises. I see how she looks for you for support. I saw the way she clung to you when her world became scary, yet clearer. She needs you, Troy." I nodded my head and gave her a sad smile.

It wasn't until after she brought up the fact that I left the room that I started to feel a little guilty. No, I didn't know she would react this way, but yes I did think she would be fine with her mom. I guess I still have a lot to learn about her.

"I'll be upstairs. Come up for dinner whenever the two of you are ready." Once again I nodded my head and outstretched my arms, to give her a hug. She whispered encouraging words in my ear before she made her way towards the steps. I patiently waited until it was just me and Gabriella.

Opening the laundry room doors, I quietly bend down. Placing my hands under her arms, I gently lifted her up. She gave a small whimper as I settled her in my arms. Instinctively, her head moved to my throat. I hummed to her softly as I carried her to the couch.

Laying down with my feet propped up, I set her on top of me. "Gabriella." I spoke softly into her ear as my hands played with the curls cascading down her back. She moved a little, but didn't wake.

"Baby, time to wake up." Speaking a louder, I stayed silent as she whimpered in her sleep, and squirmed restlessly.

"It's ok. It's just me. It's Troy." My arms wrapped around her wiggling body. Her arms broke free and I watched as she moved them to her ears.

"What's wrong? Are you in pain?" Her eyes were full of tears as she looked at me and nodded. My hand went up to her wrist, slowly bringing it back down to her side. Ever so gently, my lips touched just beneath her ear and then moved to her ear.

"Get it out." Her voice was more of a desperate plead, no longer a demand. Almost as if she had given up asking.

"Princess, you know I won't. You're just a little sore. Why don't we go upstairs, eat dinner, I'll give you something for the pain, then go to bed. You must be tired." She slowly nodded her head at my request and made an effort to sit up.

"Woah, where do you think you're going? We still have some things to talk about." She crossed her arms like a child and turned to face me. Once I was sure that she was not going to run away again, I dropped my arms from her waist.

"And here I thought we could just forget about it." Gabriella slumped against the couch completely defeated.

'_Why'd you do it?'_ I signed to her. Her eyes glossed over with tears as she mouthed, 'thank you' to me.

'_I couldn't take it anymore. My mom was dropping things every which way. You were missing. I just needed someplace quiet. That's when I walked into the laundry room. When I turned that machine on, it was like everything disappeared.'_ She signed so quickly, I was hard for me to keep up with her.

'_After that I just collapsed on the floor and laid down. The vibrations reminded me of your humming.'_ Gabriella turned around in my lap so she was directly facing me.

"It put you to sleep." I concluded for her. She nodded her head and looked down.

"Look, I know this is very scary for you, and I know you're in pain. Trust me when I say this. It's going to be ok. I'll be there for you every step of the way." Moving her off my legs, I sat up before taking her into my arms once more. I seemed as if she wasn't going to let go anytime soon.

When she released, we both stood up. She made sure to keep a tight grip on my hand as we walked up the stairs. "Wash up and come eat." I was glad Maria didn't bring up what had happened.

We listened to Maria before sitting down at the kitchen table. After serving Gabriella and Maria, before serving myself, I gladly took a bite. I hadn't eaten since breakfast. Gabriella however took small, slow bites. I could tell her appetite wasn't really there.

Every time she would swallow, she would put a hand to her ear almost as if she was still adjusting to the new feeling in her ear. Maria and I patiently waited for Gabriella to finish. She claimed she just wasn't hungry, but I had encouraged her to at least finish the slice. Getting up from my seat, I thanked Maria and collected everyone's plate. Placing them into the sink, Maria came over and shoed me away.

"Troy what did I tell you? No guest in my house will be stuck doing the dishes." I smiled at her and grabbed the brown paper bag on the counter. The doctor had given us some pain medication to help her sleep. Shaking two white pills out of the orange canister, I put them on the table in front of Gabriella.

"There is no way I'm taking those. They're huge!" She whined into my shirt. Rubbing her back, I bent down to her level.

"It will be fine. I promise." I kissed her forehead before standing up.

"Ok. But you better be ready to do the Heimlich." Chuckling, I handed her the glass of water. She hesitated before popping the pill into her mouth and swallowed it using half of her water. Her hand flew up to her throat as the pill went down.

"One more." I wove my hands through her tangled hair. She did it without hesitation this time, wanting to get it over with.

"Good job."

She stood up and winced when I pushed her chair in. "I'm going to take her upstairs. If you have time I would like to speak with you after Gabriella is asleep." I spoke very low. I knew Maria could her me, but I also knew Gabriella couldn't. As of right now, she only had 60 percent of her hearing. I saw Maria ever so slightly nod in my direction, not wanting to make her daughter notice we were talking behind her back. Gabriella linked hands with me before walking up the stairs.

While entering her room, she yawned. After shutting off the light, I took a seat on her bed and waited for her to get settled. She entered the bathroom and shut the door, giving me a few minutes to think.

Was what I did worth her misery? I didn't know. My selfishness seemed to get in the way. Yes I wanted her to hear, but I still wanted her to be deaf. It wasn't possible, but that's what I wanted. Truth was that more than anything, I wanted her to be happy. I wanted to see that smile on her face that I was so used to seeing. I didn't want to see the pained look. I didn't want her to hurt anymore.

I heard that familiar click of the door, causing my head to look up. Gabriella stood in a white oversized t-shirt with grey sweatpants. She looked gorgeous. "Hey beautiful, ready for bed?" She gave me a tired smile and crawled onto the bed.

"I like those pills, what's the name of them?" I laughed quietly to myself and helped her get settled under the covers. "Ok my little drug addict. No more pills for you." She snuggled into my chest and gripped onto my shirt.

"You're not leaving me, are you?" Her voice turned from playful to scared in a matter of seconds. "Never," Kissing her forehead, I wrapped my arm around her.

**Suggestions for next chapter are welcome. Author's note at the top explains my leave of absence. I hope you enjoyed it!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Ok so I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I will however give you a list of excuses. For the months September and October I had pneumonia. It was debated that I had to be admitted into the hospital; thankfully I won the debate and was able to recover in my house. While that was going on, my computer completely died on my losing all progress in my stories. Last week it finally arrived, so I will from now on be making updates a lot quicker. Now on with the story…**

The Silent Girl

**Troy's Pov:**

I waited until I heard her even breaths before unwrapping my arms from around her waist and getting out of bed. Walking over to the window, I began drawing the blinds. It was pouring out. The rain outside gave the room a slight chill. My feet padded on the cold hard wood floor as I walked back over to Gabriella, kissing her forehead and making sure the covers were tucked tightly around her small frame, in the process.

"Troy," she mumbled and turned onto her stomach. I chuckled softly to myself before walking out of the room. She always had a way of putting a smile on my face, even in her unconscious state.

Ms. Montez was already waiting for me on the couch in the living room. She held out a cup of coffee for me, which I gladly accepted. "What's on your mind, Troy?" Sitting down with I sigh, I took a sip before answering her. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. I was much more than nervous about her answer. I was terrified. The thought of Maria saying no to her going to Hawaii with me, would probably make me not want to go either. I couldn't leave her – not yet.

"I wanted to invite Gabriella on our family vacation to Hawaii." I gripped the scalding hot cup, anticipating the response I was about to get, her face expressionless. I faintly heard the rumble of thunder coming from outside followed by a flash of lightening. Maria stared at me for a few more seconds before responding.

"Troy, at this point, I fully trust you. You know that. I am a little worried about Gabriella, though." I'm not understanding. She just said she trusted me. Was she politely declining the offer? "I'm sorry. I'm exactly following. You know I will take care of her." Maria smiled at me and nodded her head.

"I know that, Troy. All mother's worry, though, especially since she just had her surgery." I gave her an understanding nod before taking another swig of coffee. I winced, feeling the hot liquid burn the back of my throat. It felt good though, soothing. The burn took away the hurt I was feeling.

"Well, I'm glad I spoke to you first before talking to Gabriella. I didn't want to get her hopes up." Getting up, I walked into the kitchen and spilled the remaining liquid down the drain.

The lights flickered briefly in the kitchen due to the storm. My hand went up to my hair, running my fingers through my tangled tresses. Letting out a big sigh, I placed the mug in the dishwasher and turned to leave. Mrs. Montez stood against the doorway entrance. "I never said she couldn't go." I gave her a questioning look. Was she not in the same conversation as me?

"I thought you said you were too worried about her because she just had surgery?" She too put her mug in the dishwasher before answering my question. "Of course I'm worried about her, Troy. I'm her mother." I knew she wasn't finished. "…but?" I started for her. "But she's old enough to make her own decisions. This isn't one I can't make for her. If she does say yes, then come and talk to me. I might have some rules or concerns, deal?" I nodded my head frivolously and went to hug her. I couldn't wait to tell Gabriella.

As we embraced each other, we got a shock that we weren't expecting. A booming was heard throughout the house. The frame shook from the rage. I heard a small scream and cry. "Gabriella!" Breaking away from the hug we both ran upstairs. I shouldn't have left her. It was a stupid move.

Flinging open her door, I found her huddled in a ball on her bed. Her hands covered her ears as the storm raged on outside. "Make it stop! It hurts!" She cried in fear as she looked up at me. Her eyes were empty. There was no joy, just sadness. I fought the urge to put her into the car and take her right back to the hospital. Was this what I had wanted? For her to be absolutely miserable? I only wanted my Gabriella back. Nothing else mattered anymore.

"What is that?" She cried into my chest as soon as I made my way onto the bed. Maria sat down next to us, rubbing her daughters' back. "It's just thunder." I kissed the top of her head before tucking her head underneath my chin. Her Tylenol must have worn off. Either that or she is confusing loud noises with physical pain.

"I don't like it." She plainly stated as she gripped onto my t-shirt with her fists. I looked at Maria for guidance. "Mija, I'm going to get you some more pain killers." She kissed the back of Gabriella's head before leaving the room. "Just hold her, that's all you can do right now." I faintly heard Maria speak. It was surely to low for Gabriella's ears. Not feeling the need to answer her, I turned my attention back to my one love.

Gently falling back on the bed, Gabriella whimpered as she came down with me. "You promised you wouldn't leave me." Her voice was quiet as she drew imaginary patterns on my chest. That's the sentence that probably stung the most. Today was exceptionally hard, but nothing compares to the words she just spoke. _I had a good excuse, I promise Baby Girl._ I signed to her.

My hand slipped underneath her shirt, feeling the soft smooth skin of her lower back. She shivered as my cool fingertips touched her, causing the small peach fuzz-like hairs to stand up. I watched her mouth give a small yawn before she snuggled into my chest. The thunder continued, but not once did she notice it again. Her eyes were too focused on mine. She watched my every move in the dim light.

Leaning down, I placed a kiss on lips, lingering there for much longer than I should have. She didn't seem to mind, though. I did however notice that Maria never did return. Either she wanted to give us privacy or it wasn't time to give Gabriella more medicine. Noticing what time it was, it was probably the second.

"So what's your excuse, Wildcat?" I too got shivers when she called me by that nickname. Somehow the way she says it makes it seem so sexy. "Well, I have to ask you something very important." I rolled her onto her back, being very careful not to touch her ears or near her incision. She stared wide-eyed as I got down on one knee.

"Will you Gabriella Montez." I smiled up at her and reached into my front pocket. "What are you doing, Troy? Stand up! Please!" I laughed out loud. She looked like a deer caught in headlights. She gripped onto my shirt and tried to yank me into a standing position. I didn't let her, though.

"Will you Gabriella Montez, accompany me to Hawaii?" I asked her as I pulled out a brochure and handed it to her. Immediately, she grabbed it out of my hand and smacked my shoulder with it. "What were you thinking? You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Standing up I leaned over the bed, and placed a kiss on her waiting lips. "So I take it as a yes?" I asked eagerly. "Whoa, Whoa, Whoa! I have some questions first." Her hand covered my mouth to keep me from saying anything else.

I lay back on the bed with her and waited for the flow of questions to begin. "First of all, who's going and when?" Laughing, I kissed her nose and began to inform her about all the details.

**Gabriella's Pov: **

I listened quietly as he spoke quietly to me. I didn't want to miss a thing. My head began to swirl with emotions. I was happy that I was going on vacation with his family, but worried about my mother being in this big house by herself. I didn't want her to be lonely while I'm out having the time of my life. He also told me all that Hawaii had to offer. From museums, to scuba diving, it sounded like a blast. There were even hula dancing lessons. I made a mental note to get Troy to do that with me.

"We would have to pack by tonight the latest." My train of thought stopped. What did he just say? "Are you crazy? And you wait till now to tell me?" I started to get out of bed until I felt two strong arms wrap around my stomach. The sleep was now gone from my mind as I squealed and fell back on top of him.

"Relax; we have all day tomorrow seeing as neither of us are going to school." I relaxed in his arms at a complete bliss of the life I had. The rest of the night and well into the morning we talked about anything and everything in sign language. I stalled, not wanting him to leave. It worked up until three, where he had said he really had to get home.

Giving him a dramatic sigh, I reluctantly unwove my arms from around him and allowed him to get up. He kissed my forehead before using the balcony and tree outside to leave my house. I shook my head at his creativeness. I know he didn't want to wake my mother, but I'm sure she wouldn't have minded if he used the front door.

Burying myself into the pillows and comforter, I allowed sleep to over come me despite my now excited body. I woke up only seven hours later to a disturbing sight. Troy sat across from my bed on my computer chair watching me sleep. I groaned and immediately shut my eyes.

"I really should remember to lock my door after you leave." I felt him climb onto the bed and make his way next to me. I snuggled into his chest when he kissed the top of my head and wove his fingers through my tangled hair. As he slid under the comforter I pressed my frozen feet to his legs. I chuckled to myself as he flinched slightly before tucking the covers in. I probably look like hell right about now.

"What you don't want to see me? I guess I'll go back to school then." My fingers darted to his chest, griping the soft cotton in my fists. "You wouldn't." I challenged him. I heard him laugh which caused me to open my eyes. I wasn't used to hearing that sweet sound. It made me smile. "You're right. Plus your mother gave me strict instructions to not let you shower by yourself." I gave him a questioning look and raised my eyebrow at him.

"If this is your way to get me to shower with you, it needs some work." I was surprised by the sudden confidence I had with him. I got up from the bed and went to retrieve my clothes for the day.

"I wish, but no. You have been exiled to my house to take a shower. You might want to bring a bathing suit." So he really wasn't kidding before, I guess. I looked at him like he was crazy.

Sighing, I continued to take out my clothes for the day. What was my mother thinking? Walking into my closet, I pulled the black string bikini off the hanger. "Why am I showering at your house and why would I need a suit?" I asked him skeptically. He took my clothes from me while I went to get my makeup bag.

"You can't get your incision wet, so we are going to come up with some kind of plan. And I think you would feel more comfortable if you had a swim suit on." I smiled at him and nodded my head.

Walking into the bathroom, I closed the door behind me and looked into the mirror. What does he see in me? My hair looks like it got in a fight with a blow dryer, my face pale, and my eyes red from last nights events. Looking into the mirror only makes me wonder even more, why he ever decided to become friends with me.

Not wanting to keep him waiting any longer, I quickly washed my face and brushed my teeth. I ran my fingers through my hair and in hopes to do something with the mess, tied it back with a hair tie. As I walked out he stood up and held out his hand for mine. I smiled at him before locking my fingers with his.

We walked downstairs and into the kitchen before unlocking our hands. Rummaging through the kitchen cabinets I pulled out two chocolate chip muffins, throwing Troy one in the process. I was starving due to the fact that I was too upset to eat dinner last night.

"Ready to go, Beautiful?" I blushed at the name. I hardly felt beautiful at the moment. "Yeah, I just need to find some shoes." I told him as I went searching for them. Finding them by the front door, I slipped them on and opened the door.

"Wow you actually brought your car today instead of sneaking out." He winked at me as he opened the car door for me. "I live to please." He joked before getting into the car himself. His house was only a couple houses down, so it wasn't a long drive at all.

"Does your mom know I'm coming?" I asked him hesitantly before getting out of the car. "It was all planned out. Your mom called my mom." I blushed again. He makes me do that so easily. As we approached the front door, he took his hand from mine. Before I knew it he was tugging at the hair tie, making my hair fall loosely to my shoulders.

"You're beautiful. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." He whispered in my ear before eyes locked with his and followed him inside. Standing on my tiptoes I gave him a gentle kiss. "I'm still not used to anyone being this nice. You make me feel good about myself even when I feel like crap." I snuggled into his embrace savoring the moment.

"Good morning Gabriella there's a fresh pot of coffee in the kitchen." As much as I didn't want to, I broke away from Troy and turned to face Mrs. Bolton. "Morning Mrs. Bolton." I decided against saying I love her voice. It was warm and welcoming. I could tell there wasn't a bad bone in her body. I didn't want to make her think I was crazy.

"You too go get settled and when you are ready come find me upstairs." We nodded our head and went in search of the coffee. Troy poured me a cup first before we retreated to the living room. I squealed slightly as Troy suddenly pulled me on top of him on the recliner.

"Do you not understand that I have hot coffee in my hand which could have spilled all over you or me?" I raised my eyebrow at him before setting the mug on the side table next to his. He of course took this moment to recline the chair. "I just want to hold you." He whispered innocently as he buried his head into the crook of my neck. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he places tiny kisses along my shoulder.

"Just think we will have a whole vacation of being together. You might get sick of me." I told him as I sat up and faced him. "Never." His cool breath was felt on my skin as that simple yet meaningful word was spoken. I fell back into his embrace comforted by the soothing humming sound.

"I've always wondered what you were humming. It's pretty." I closed my eyes and savored the moment. "It's an old song. My mother used to sing it for me when I was little." A tear rolled down my face as I leaned against his chest. I swiped it away quickly, not wanting him to see it. I never got to experience my mother singing to me when I was little. To say I was jealous of Troy would be an understatement. He had the chance to experience so much more than I did.

"What's the name of the song?" Not that I would know it, but I was curious. He tangled his hand in my hair before speaking, massaging my head in the process. "I like to mix it up. Sometimes it's an old song called Goodnight Sweetheart or Taylor Swift songs." I smiled and nodded my head into his chest_. You seem to like Taylor Swift the best, though_. He signed to me. Nothing else was said or signed after that. Nothing else was needed.

I took my mug of coffee, and took one last sip before setting it down. "Ready to shower?" I nodded and stood up. My arms wrapped around my body as he led me upstairs.

**Troy's Pov: **

"You can change in my room. When you're done, meet me in my parent's bathroom. After kissing her forehead, I turned on the balls of my feet and went to find my mother. I could tell by the look on Gabriella's face that she wanted to get this over with. She was probably more excited to start packing.

"She's just getting changed." I told my mother. I sat on the bathroom counter and watched her take out medical supplies from the cabinet. "Alright, Baby." She turned to me for a brief moment before going back to gathering the necessities. I inwardly groaned.

"Mom how many times do I have to ask that you not call me baby? I'm going to be an adult soon and you are still going to call me that." I whined to her like a little kid. She smiled at me before giving me a kiss on the cheek. "No matter how old you are, you will still be my baby." Gabriella walked into the room dressed in an oversized shirt.

"Hey Baby!" She leaned over and kissed my cheek and giggled. Music filled my ears. "That was evil." I playfully glared at her. She laughed once more before taking her, well I should say my, oversized shirt off revealing her black bikini. She threw me the shirt before sitting next to me on the counter. My mother started waterproofing her.

Gabriella's head lay on my shoulder, giving my mother an easier view of the incision. I waited patiently, carful not to move until my mother was finished. I watched my mother and girlfriend doubled over in fits of laughter. It was an amusing sight to see. They were trying not to get her incision wet. My mother had wrapped a towel around her cut which was proceeded by about four or five waterproof bandages and gauze. They really seemed as if they were getting along, which made me happy.

After they were finished, I hopped off the counter and held out a light blue bath towel for Gabriella. She shivered as I wrapped the thick material around her delicate frame. I held her closer to my body and watched as my mother walked out of the room.

"That wasn't too bad." I joked with her as my hands rubbed her towel covered arms up and down frivolously trying to both dry her and warm her up.

"That was an experience that I will definitely never forget." She chuckled. "You stay here, leave your suit in the shower and I'll go get your clothes, Baby." She smiled gratefully at me. "Ok baby" We both chuckled at our newfound joke before I left the room.

"Troy I don't want you waiting for the last minute to pack." My mom met me in my room, handing me my black large suitcase. I groaned and nodded my head. "I'll do it before I go back to Gabriella's, Mom." I scrambled to find Gabriella's clothes. I exchanged her shirt with one of my wildcat sweatshirts before leaving the room.

"Hey, it's me." I said quietly though the closed bathroom door. I got no response reminding me that she probably couldn't hear me whispering through a door. Not wanting to knock and cause her to get scared, I raised my voice and tried again. Gabriella opened the door revealing the towel that was not wrapped tightly against her frame. She eyed the clothes before looking up to meet my face. She gave me a questioning look and took the sweatshirt in her hand.

"You'll be a lot warmer. Plus," I said whispered, "I love seeing you in my clothes." This brought a smile to her face. She stood on her tip toes and kissed my cheek. "I'll wait for you out here." I mouthed to her before kissing her temple. I sat on my parent's bed going over what we would be doing in Hawaii. My mother was able to book a whole row on the plane so Gabriella and I could sit together with my parent's right across the aisle from us. We also had two hotel rooms; our room had two full beds instead of one, of course.

Most importantly I couldn't wait to give her the gift I had purchased not too long ago. A slim red iPod Nano already uploaded including the songs she used to be able to fall asleep to only when she could feel me humming.

**I hope you enjoyed that and I apologize for such a long delay. If you have any idea what you want to happen in next chapter or what you want to see them doing please feel free to message me! Thanks!**


	19. Chapter 19

The Silent Girl

**Troy's Pov:**

Packing with Gabriella was a whole different story than packing with me. I took twenty minutes at most. You see, guys are different from girls. They don't have thousands of shoes that have to match just right with the outfit they are wearing. We could care less.

Gabriella is a different story, though. I sat on her floor surrounded by a mess of clothes. There was a piece of clothing to cover every spec of her carpet. I shook my head at her. She sat in the empty suitcase, her knees pulled up to her chest. Her arms wrapped around her legs as her eyes traveled from one piece of clothes to the next. She looked like a little kid in the oversized red suitcase. The funny thing about it is that she fit perfectly.

"You going to start packing soon, Brie?" I fell back to lay down, my head being cushioned by the mass of clothes behind me.

"If you wrinkle those clothes, Wildcat, your not getting any more kisses from me. And yes, I am ready, just figuring out how many of each clothes I should bring." I sat up immediately. There is no way I am going to let her punish me like that.

We were going for a couple of weeks, but she didn't need to bring a set of clothes for each day. "My mom does the laundry every day." I watched her let out a sigh and proceed to stand up.

She walked over to her jeans pile and pulled five pairs before handing them to me. "Oh I see I get to pack for you?" She smiled and nodded. I didn't mind, though. Anything for my girl. Neatly placing then in her suitcase, I held out my hands for the next items. My eyebrow rose at her in question. There in my hands lay a small pile of my clothes. Two pairs of sweatpants, about five or so t-shirts, and one sweatshirt.

"What?" She played innocent and gathered her swimsuit in her arms.

"I have been looking for these, thanks for telling me your hording my clothes." A smile, toying on my lips. I put the clothes neatly in the suitcase and held out my arms to her. She slipped her swim suit in the inside pocket of her luggage before place herself comfortably in my lap.

"I can't wait for this vacation." I signed to her. She snuggled into my chest and nodded her head.

"Do we get our own room?" Her small voice asked. At this point, I wasn't sure if she wanted the same room as me, let along the same bed. "Yes, but don't worry, we have different beds." I wasn't sure this was the answer she wanted to hear. I watched as Gabriella nodded her head and stood up from me lap.

"I don't think I want two beds." She flatly said; her voice very low. I grabbed her by the pant loop before she could get away and tugged her back onto my lap. My lips caressed her cheek and I soon heard her sweet giggle fill the room.

"I need to pack, Wildcat." Reluctantly, I let her go. We had an early morning to look forward to. The flight was at six, however you are supposed to be at the airport two hours and if you take into consideration the time it takes us to shower, get ready, and dive to the airport, we were looking at waking up at 2am. Well this will be interesting for Gabriella, especially when I tell her.

"You know, I like packing for you." I winked at her as I took the lace underwear and matching bras from her hand. She blushed a light shade of crimson and turned her back to me.

Omitting a small sigh, I stood up and stretched. It wasn't even the afternoon yet, but I was ready for bed. My arms wrapped around her small frame as my hands slipped under her sweatshirt. Her soft skin was warm; I couldn't help but rub the back of my knuckles over her stomach. Gabriella's reached around my neck and clasped her hands.

"What's up baby?" I kissed the back of her neck as I waited for her to respond. She slipped from my grasp and started packing her shorts and shirts. I was confused by her actions. She didn't meet my gaze once as she walked into her bathroom. I followed her and sat on the counter as I watched her pull her make up bag and other necessities such as shampoo, conditioner, a razor, and lotion from the cabinets.

"How many weeks are we going for?" She asked after about five minutes of rummaging through her cabinets she spoke up. About a month or so I think. I'm not sure the exact dates. Why?" I asked as I jumped off the counter.

Once again she blushed and turned away. "Baby come on, what's up?" Grasping her arm, I turned her around to face me. "I uh need to go to the store, but don't worry, I'll have my mom stop off after work." Gabriella started to turn away from me, but I wouldn't let her.

"We have plenty of time. What do you need?" And with that simple question, she suddenly became very shy. She had a hard time meeting my gaze and tried to slip out of my arms. Since when did this happen? I never want her to feel embarrassed or shy to tell me something.

**Gabi's Pov: **

I blushed a deep shade of crimson and looked down. Wiggling out of his arms, I walked out of the bathroom and into my closet searching for at least one little cardboard box. I could feel Troy's presence behind me as I removed some clothes from their shelves.

"Baby just tell me what you need and I'll get it. Do you have enough shampoo? Is that what you need?" I turned to face him for the first time in five minutes. His keys were in hand while his other hand was searching in his back pocket for his wallet. I shook my head.

"I don't need shampoo." I picked at the soft sweatshirt I was wearing. It suddenly became more interesting than this conversation. His hands covered mine, cause me to look up.

"Look Pretty Girl, I never want you to be embarrassed or ashamed to tell me something. Where is this coming from? It's just you and me here." I smiled as he kissed my forehead. So easily with such simple words, he could wipe my fears away. I leaned into his embrace as he held me tightly.

"If we are going to be away for so long, I uhh need." I hesitated and hid my face in his chest.

"Babe, what kind do you want me to get?" He chuckled causing my body to move with his stomach. He really is perfect, isn't he? I looked up at him and smiled. "How did you know?" My blush no longer there. He rested his forehead against mine, and whispered six simple words.

"I'm the one packing your suitcase." My arms wrapped around his neck as I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. We stayed like that for a long time. I didn't want this moment to end. It was too perfect. A guy who knows exactly what you need is worth keeping around, even if it is tampons.

"I want to go with you. Please don't leave me here." For some reason ever since I had the surgery, I've been depending on Troy a lot. I get scared when he leaves me alone for too long, and if I hear a strange noise, I probably would be curled up in the fetal position. To me it seems pathetic, I used to be so self sufficient, but now look at me. I can't even shower by myself. To him, though, it doesn't seem like it affects him. He for some reason brushes it off as normal. He jumps when I need him, it doesn't seem to bother him the way I have been acting.

He held his hand out for me, which I took gladly. His large hand wrapped around my small one, making me feel safe. He always seems to do that. My thoughts got the best of me because before I knew it, we were in the car driving. I was still getting used to the feeling of being in a car. Once in a while, the cars would honk, and of course, I would jump like an idiot. Troy kept his hand on my thigh the whole time, gently rubbing it.

My hand hesitated near the radio. I wanted to hear the voices of the music sheets I have grown up with. I looked at him as my hand clasped the semi-big black knob. He looked at me for a brief moment and nodded his head.

"Push in." Troy said once he came to a red light. Music started flowing through my sore ears. I covered them with my hands. I didn't like it. Without waiting another minute, I quickly shut it off. I blinked back the tears, wanting to be strong. I couldn't believe something so simple made me cry so easily.

"Brie, you're still sore, it's fine. Nothing to be ashamed of. Here try this." I looked up at him and smiled through my glossy eyes. My eyebrows knitted together as I watched him once again turn on the radio. I whimpered slightly, but he shushed me instantly. I could hear the music become lower and lower. His hand turned the volume dial until my hands returned to my lap.

"I didn't know you could do that." I felt stupid saying that. What teenager doesn't realize there is a volume control in the car? He didn't say anything about my question, just winked.

"Who is this?" I asked Troy. As he pulled into the parking lot, he answered. "Taylor Swift, you love her songs." I couldn't stop the smile from forming on my face as he said this. What more can I ask from him. He's too perfect. He removed his hand from my leg, and put the car into park. We got out of the car and walked into the drug store. Troy grabbed a shopping bag for me as we walked in.

"You ok?" Troy asked me in a questioning manner. I kept turning around searching for something. "Yea, I have this weird feeling that someone is watching us." Maybe I was crazy because there was no one behind me. Troy scoped the room, shrugged his shoulders, and held me closer to his body.

The two of us walked up and down the aisles searching for anything we might need on this trip. He threw in two packs of gum, suntan lotion, and chap stick for both of us.

There weren't that many people in the store, I noticed as we went down each other the aisle. We stopped when I got to the feminine hygiene aisle. I tossed in a box of tampons along with a container of Midol.

"Is that all you need?" I heard him as we walked up to the check out counter. "Yea thank you. Here." I said as I held out twenty dollars. Being a girl is expensive. He shook his head and pulled out his wallet.

"Please, let me." I knew better than to argue with him when I wasn't going to win anyway. He's too good to me.

"You didn't have to do that, Troy." I said as we walked towards the exit. The sun, beamed on my face as we walked out. Troy didn't respond. He slipped his arm around my shoulder and kissed my temple.

"Well look who's here." I knew that voice all too well. I pressed myself against Troy's side as the basketball player approach us. We were beginning to be come surround by them.

"Get out of my way and don't even think about it. You all are already suspended from the team." Troy pushed my shaking body behind his back, shielding me from most of the guys.

"Hey what's on your face Gabriella?" My hand flew to my face, check for anything unusual that should be there. Troy shoved one of the guys in front of him, trying to make an exit path.

"Yea, you have something, right there." His hand went to my left ear and pressed it hard. My teeth dug into my bottom lip as I quivered. Pain shot through my body and my eyes filled with tears. My breath caught in my throat as I saw Troy's eyes fill with fury. His muscles in his arms flexed as he let go of my hand. I pushed myself against the wall behind me and sunk to the ground. My head fell to my lap as one of my hands covered my ear. I tried to hold my breath, not wanting the guys to see me crying. That will give them just one more reason to tease me.

"You know, I would hit you, but why not just let the police do it." Troy pulled out his phone and started to dial the number.

"Oh we're scared. Too bad when they get here, we'll be gone." The leader of the pack had the nerve to say. I drowned out the rest of the conversation, and hid my head in my arms. The tears now started flowing freely. My sobs muffled the rest of his conversation. I shrunk back in fear as I felt two hands grip under my arms.

"Lets get you home, Baby Girl." I relaxed as he put me into his arms. My legs locked around his waist as I leaned against his chest. "Hurts." I whimpered as my sobs lessened.

"They're off the team. I can't believe they did that to you. I should have hit them." I vaguely remember being strapped into the car be cause before I knew it, we were home. Troy didn't say a word to me since we got in the car.

When we walked into the house, it was the same story. I followed him upstairs and into my room, confused by his actions. I kept my hand securely over my ear as I walked down the hallway. It hurt like hell. I watched in sadness as Troy left the room. Was he embarrassed by my crying? Was he upset that he was holding my plastic bag from the drug store while the guys showed up?

Upon entering my room, I through some items into my suitcase. My straightener and curler were tucked safely between my clothes along with a few DVD's. "Leave it, I'll finish. Get into bed." His voice was deep and solemn. I followed his request and pulled the covers up. He preceded to hand me two of my pain pills. I shook my head and pushed them back into his hand.

"I'm feeling better, I don't need that." The last thing I wanted to do at the moment was choke of those horse pills. I sighed deeply, set the glass of my night table and got into bed next to me. He took one of the pills and snapped it in half with his fingers. His face looked as if it had been made of stone. He made no attempt to smile or look at me. I took the smaller pill from his hand and swallowed it with the water.

"I'm sorry." My voice seemed small and timid as I spoke to him. I took the next piece he offered to me.

"Listen to me. I never want to hear you apologize to me again. You did nothing wrong. Do you understand me?" His hands went to my arms as he grabbed me to look at him. I bowed my head and nodded, still unsure of his current mood.

"Why are you frustrated with me then?" I could tell something wasn't right between us. It was obvious by the way he was acting. Troy wasn't himself. He gave me the last half of the pill before speaking.

"I'm ashamed and embarrassed that this happened to you again." Shaking my head, I set the water down on the table before turning to him. "You did the best you could. You were out numbered, Troy. The most important thing is that when I'm with you, I feel safe." I settled myself into his arm. The tighter I griped onto him, the tighter he held me.

We stayed like that for a good five minutes before breaking apart. "So what can't you pack tonight?" He asked me as he gently scratched my back. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling. I cuddled into his side as he continued.

"Just my toothbrush and make up I think. And I need to pack a carry-on for the plane. I felt his head lean against mine and nod his head. And at that moment, everything was perfect.

**Troy's Pov: **

I finished up packing the last few items in her suitcase including her carry-on bag. That consisted of three books, a magazine, and some other necessities. The rest of the day went by relatively quickly. We had lunch, watched a few movies until Maria came come.

We sat on the couch as we ate pizza talking about the trip. "Do you have everything you need?" I turned my attention to Maria when she asked Gabriella and me. Smiling, I nodded my head and took a bite of pizza.

"Are you sure you're going to be ok?" I could tell Gabriella was worried about leaving Maria for such a long time. Gabriella had her head in her mothers lap and her legs draped over my legs. She looked as if should could fall asleep at any moment. Taking her foot in my hand, I started to gently massage it.

"I'll be fine. You're Aunt and Uncle invited me to stay with them, so maybe I'll spend a week there." I kept silent as I watched the mother and daughter interaction. Maria ran her hands through Gabriella's curls, as Gabriella fought the will to keep her eyes open.

"Will you be staying the night, Troy? I could make up the guest room." Gabriella and I locked eyes for a brief moment. Just by looking at her face, I could see my decision. She didn't want me to leave, it was obvious. I didn't mind though, the only place I want to be is next to her anyway.

"If you don't mind, I think I'll stay in Gabriella's room on her couch. We have to be up really early tomorrow." Gabriella sat up cause me to stop massaging her foot. My arms wrapped around her body as she leaned against me.

"What time do we have to get up?" Truth be told, I was waiting for someone to ask this question. I kissed her forehead before answering. "It depends if you're showering tonight or tomorrow morning." Maria cleared our plates and glasses as we continued the conversation. She shrugged her shoulders and closed her eyes. Her body became still after she made herself comfortable.

"Ok we need to get you to bed, Sweetheart." She grunted something incoherent as I stood up and placed her over my shoulder.

"Night Mom! I love you." She mumbled in her upside down state with her eyes still closed. I chuckled as I walked into the kitchen to meet Maria.

"I'm not going to wake you tomorrow to say goodbye. It's too early." Maria kissed her sleeping daughters cheek before answering me.

"Take care of her, Troy. And have fun." We said our goodbye's with me promising Gabriella and I would keep in touch with her frequently. I carefully and slowly made my way upstairs and into her room. I gently took her off my shoulder and placed her on top of her warm covers. Walking over to her dresser, I found a t-shirt a long with a pair of red sweatpants. Not wanting to wake her, as silently as I could, I slipped her shirt off and replaced it with the clean one o had gotten from her drawer. She stirred as I pulled her pants off her small frame.

"Troy?" It sounded almost as if she was saying my name in her sleep.

"Shhh, Baby doll go back to sleep. You have to be up by 2 o'clock tomorrow." I said as I tied the string on her sweatpants to prevent them from falling down. I was waiting for the thought to register in her head. It was taking a little longer due to her unconscious state. Her eyes snapped open and her hands gripped onto my t-shirt. She pulled me onto the bed next to her and cuddled into my side.

"All I have to say is good luck getting me up that early." She closed her eyes and relaxed her body once more. I put us both under the covers, not realize how hard tomorrow would actually be. I texted my mother letting her know, I was staying over before take Gabriella into my arms. The one place where I hoped she would stay forever.

**I hope you liked it. Let me know and leave suggestions!**


	20. Chapter 20

Silent Girl

**Troy's Pov:**

My eyes squinted in the early hours of the morning. I stretched my limp body awake as I stepped out of Gabriella's shower. It must only be about 2:00 because I had yet to hear from my mother's annoying yet un-necessary wake up call. One time you sleep two hours past the time you should have been up, and you are marked as the irresponsible child who can't be trusted to wake themselves up.

As I dried my body, I took a quick look around the bathroom, making sure Gabriella wasn't leaving anything behind. I slipped my grey boxers on before bending over to towel dry my hair. I opened the door, only to reveal Gabriella still in bed.

Prior going into the shower, I made sure she was sitting up and conscious, but now well – that effort was just thrown out the window. Her small frame was huddled underneath the mound of covers. As I walked closer, I could hear her even breaths, signaling that she was indeed asleep. Grabbing my pants off the computer chair I slipped them on, followed by my plain white t-shirt.

Out of nowhere, my phones' ringtone blasted throughout the room. I rushed around the room trying to find it. I grabbed it off the pillow and flipped it open.

"Hello?" I whispered. Looking over at Gabriella, I was surprised to see that she didn't budge an inch. I chuckled quietly to myself.

"Oh good you're up. We woke up a little late today. Is Gabriella awake yet? You know we're coming in 45 minutes, right? Why are you whispering? She's not up, is she? I told you..." Not wanting my mom to spaz out even more than she already is, I cut her off.

"Mom relax I have everything under control. I was just about to wake her up and have her shower." I walked around the room and unplugged Gabriella's phone charger from the wall and stuffed it into her suitcase.

"Ok, ok Troy, I trust you. Just remember, you have to help her. Do you remember what I did to her incision?" I rolled my eyes. Before I left my house, she must have gone over the steps with me at least five times.

"Yes, I do Mom. We'll be fine. I'll see you at three." I tried to give her the hint to hang up. Nothing productive was going to get done if we stayed on the phone for much longer.

"Ok Troy and please remember to be a gentleman when you help her shower." Once again, I rolled my eyes at her statement. Did she think I wouldn't be?

"Mom you know I would never do anything to hurt that girl." Collecting the waterproof Band-Aids, towels, and gauze I placed them on the bathroom counter.

"I know that, Troy. I'm just worried about how today is going to go. Sometimes I even get scared about all the ruckus that plane makes. Not to mention, what if there's turbulence?" I couldn't lie. I was terrified about how Gabriella was going to react.

"I'm nervous too, Mom. I should really get going." We both said our goodbyes before I hung up the phone. Walking back into Gabriella's room, I made my way over to the bed.

"Brie, time to wake up." I pulled the covers down, so I could at least see her head. She was fast asleep, her head buried into the pillow. I ran my hands through her tangled tresses, removing the hair that was covering her eyes. Her incision looked better, I noticed as I carefully examined it. It was no longer bright red. It now sported a light shade of pink. "Gabriella, come on. We're going to miss our flight if you sleep any longer." A grunt escaped her lips as she felt around for the covers, which were not on the floor.

"Oh no you don't, missy." I could tell she was fast on her way back to a deep sleep. My hands grasped her arms as I brought her into a sitting position. Her small frame slumped forward, causing me to let out a smile.

"Let's go, Pretty Girl!" I tried to be firm with her, but I was failing miserably. She was winning, and it was obvious. My hands gripped her waist as I lifted her out of bed and stood her on her unstable feet. She looked like a drunken person as I led her into the bathroom. A couple of times I had to re-direct her. Otherwise there is no doubt in my mind that she would have walked into the wall. Her legs wobbled underneath her and I could see she was ready to collapse.

Pulling the string on her already to big sweat pants, I heard them fall to the ground. She shivered as I placed her onto the counter. Placing my warm hands on her thighs I began to rub them, in hopes to create some form of friction. When her goose bumps began to fade, I stopped my actions. Grabbing the pony holder off the counter, I put her hair into a bun to the best of my ability. It didn't look pretty, but for the first time, I think I did a good job.

Her body shook again as I slipped her over sized t-shirt off, leaving her in just her underwear. I didn't dare to look down out of courtesy for her. She slumped forward and rested her head in the crook of my neck. I kissed her bare shoulder before I began to bandage her incision, just like my mother had taught me.

"Do you want me to get a swim suit?" I know she was conscious when her arms wrapped around my neck. I felt her shake her head before replying, "Nughh." It sounded more like a grunt than an answer. I wasn't sure if it was her tiredness talking or if she really meant it.

"Alright Darling." I helped her off the counter before turning my back to her and starting the shower. She was beginning to become more stable on her feet than she was ten minutes ago. I felt her warm body sit by my feet. Her head leaned against my leg and her eyes closed.

"Flip you head over." I said as I grabbed the shampoo bottle. The shower went much more smoothly than it had the previous day. A couple of times though, I had to make sure that she didn't fall asleep on me.

After I washed her hair, I let her finish up in the shower while I went to go get her clothes. She had Victoria's secret black fold-over leggings along with a white tank top folded neatly on her dresser. I grabbed those along with a pair of underwear and a bra before making my way back to her.

I watched her in amusement as she had yet to open her eyes. It was almost as if she was sleepwalking.

"Don't worry, you can sleep on the plane." I placed a kiss on her temple before setting her clothes down. Closing the bathroom door behind me, I began carrying the suitcases downstairs. We had less than a half hour to get out of the house in order to make our flight. I quietly walked back upstairs, not wanting to wake Maria.

"Almost ready, babe?" I said as I walked into the room. She lay face down on the bed. Her hear buried into the covers that were now in a mass pile on the bed.

"I leave you alone for no longer than a minute and this is what happens?" I could hear her even breaths as I got closer to her.

"Come on Pretty Girl." I gently shook her shoulder. She responded with a grunt along with rolling onto her back. Her eyes scrunched up before her warm chocolate eyes were visible to me. Even in the dim light I could see the tiny bags forming under her eyes.

"Sun not out. Need sleep." She mumbled as she rubbed the side of her face. I nodded in understand, holding out my hand to help her up. She stumbled as she slipped her shoes on along with her matching sweat suit jacket.

"I promise you can sleep in the car and plane. We both took one last look around the room before turning odd the lights and heading downstairs. We were met with the cool morning air as we walked outside with our suitcases and carryon bags. I watched as Gabriella shivered as a gust of wind blew past us. Wasn't it supposed to be summer by now?

"Come here." I held my arms out to her, which she gladly made herself welcome. My arms wrapped around her petite frame as we waited for my parents to show. I gently swayed my body from side to side, as I watched the van pull into the driveway.

"Babe, go in the car. We got it." Gabriella started to reach for her bags, but I quickly stopped her. The driver taking us to the airport opened the car door for Gabriella before helping me with the suitcases. This trip was going to be a fun and much needed vacation.

**Gabriella's Pov:**

"Good morning Gabriella." I vaguely heard Mr. and Mrs. Bolton exclaim as I climbed into the back of the van. I said my good mornings to them before situating myself on the seat.

My legs curled up under myself as my body leaned back on the seat. I didn't bother putting on my seatbelt. Hell, I was lucky if I could work up enough energy to stay awake for longer than ten minutes.

I felt a pair of strong hands grip my waist, causing me to pry my eyes open. He pulled my tired, limp body closer to him, until my weight rested on his chest. I shook my head and pulled away. Sure it was ok to hug in front of his parents, but cuddling? Didn't he feel uncomfortable doing this in front of his parents? I know they weren't facing us, but we still have a chance of them turning around at any moment.

I watched as Troy's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. I instantly regretted my actions. Was I supposed to give in to what he wanted? Did he get mad at me for pulling away? I was still learning about the "rules" so to speak of being a girlfriend. Was this one of them? I bowed my head and silently pointed to his parents situated only a few inches away from us. I watched his hands move in a smooth and proficient movement.

_Don't worry about them. I promise they don't care_. He signed to me. I smiled and nodded my head before settling my self back into his arms. The moment I was encaged in his arms, a calming sense flooded through me. His fingertips found their way under my shirt as he gently caressed the smooth skin on my back. I closed my eyes, savoring the moment, while burying my face into his shoulder.

For the most part, the rest of the ride went uneventful. We talked about the itinerary for the trip for the majority of the time spent in the van. I wanted so badly to tune out all the noise as we pulled up to the airport. It was even worse than that time I was first in a car after my surgery. There are much more people yelling, cars honking, and children laughing. I kept a pretty firm grip on Troy as we moved through the airport. Mr. Bolton stayed on the other side of me, while Mr. Bolton was walking in front of us, leading the way.

I no longer wanted to be here. I wanted to be in the silence of my room. I was becoming suffocated by the noise and mass amount of people. I jumped when one of the loud conveyer belt buzzers went off. Tears filled my eyes as I looked down embarrassed.

"I'll meet up with you guys before we board." I vaguely heard Troy say to his parents. I felt Troy pull me towards his body before continuing to walk in a different direction.

"Listen Gabriella, before we go in there I want to set something straight." We both sat down on a bench right outside security. I smiled as he tucked one of my stray hairs behind my ear.

"I know this is probably the last place you want to be right now, and I know all these different sounds are scaring you, but please believe me when I say that nothing is going to hurt you." I met his eyes since the first time since we arrived. His cobalt eyes were filled with concern. I gave him a sad smile and nodded my head.

"What is it?" He asked. I shrugged my shoulders, not wanting to put a more negative energy into our vacation. The last thing I wanted to do was complain this whole trip. I began to stand up but was held down when he grabbed my arms and pulled me onto his lap.

"Are your ears bothering you?" I bit my lip and nodded reluctantly. His large hand relaxed my head under his chin. I both felt and heard him sigh deeply.

"I need to get some food in you before I give you your medicine." I rubbed my tired eyes with my fist while nodding against his chest. Without any additional words, we both stood up and made our way over to security.

I couldn't believe how tedious and throughout everything was. Not only does a laptop have to be in a separate bin, bit it also has to be out of its case. That is followed by the taking off of your shoes along with any sweatshirt you are wearing. And the jewelry you are wearing? Well, you should only wear that if you want those obnoxious buzzers to go off. I have learned that first hand, unfortunately. Troy was a pro at this, though. He knew exactly what to take off and what to leave on.

As we passed security, we met up with Mr. and Mrs. Bolton to have breakfast. "What would you like to eat, Gabriella?" Mrs. Bolton loving voice ran through my ears. Shrugging my shoulder, I reached into my carryon and pulled out my wallet.

"Put it away Brie, I got it." His large hand covered mine as he directed my hand back into my bag. Was he going to let me pay for anything? The inviting me on the trip is more than I could ever ask for. Not to mention the fact that I didn't pay for my ticket, either. Sighing, I shook my head in amusement at him.

"Please, I would love to treat you guys to breakfast." Troy's parents were behind him in this decision, much to my disappointment.

I was situated by my window eating my bagel as I watched the runway in fascination. I felt like a little kid, looking out the window wide-eyed in amazement at the huge planes. I am flabbergasted, but not little anymore. I became infatuated with them; it was hard for me to look away. Was I going to be inside one of those things? I was expecting the little plane you see in the sky, not these. Then again, I should probably realize that I'm not little anymore and anything that for away from you seems little.

Troy sat next to me reading a book, while his parents talked quietly beside him. For some reason though, I wasn't afraid of the rumbles of engines. I wasn't afraid of the difference in size from the plane to me. It didn't scare me as the engines rumbled through the sky after lift off. Maybe it was due to the thick Plexiglas separating us, I didn't know. All I knew, is that at the moment, it felt as if nothing could scare me. At the moment I felt like a normal teenager. At the moment, I felt at ease. I haven't felt this way in a long time.

"Flight 206 now boarding." I broke my gaze and looked at Troy as the womans' voice on the loud speaker was heard.

I grabbed my bag, eager to board the plane. The fears I previously had were long forgotten. All I was concerned about was what were we going to do when we first got to Hawaii. And lucky for me, that should be all a teenager has to worry about for now.

**Troy's Pov: **

As I stood in line for the flight attendant to take our tickets, I couldn't stop thinking about the perfect time to give Gabriella her gift. I couldn't stop thinking about how much she was going to love it.

"You can take the window seat, Pretty Girl." My hand rested on Gabriella's lower back, leading her into our row on the plane.

My parents were in the aisle across from us. That's the one of the many good things about first about first class. The comfy recliner-like chairs, allowed two people per row. I was glad that we didn't have to share a row with strangers.

Though the sun wasn't out yet due to the early hour, I closed the shade anyway before sitting down. Gabriella was already situated in the oversized chair with her legs curled under her. Not needing the separating armrest between us, I lifted it up and put my arm around Gabriella's shoulders.

She snuggled into my side and wrapped her arms around my waist. Lifting her chin with my index finger and thumb, I titled her head so it was facing me. _I have something for you. _I signed with proficiency.

Reaching into my pants pocket, I searched around until I felt the slim I-pod touch my fingers. She un-wrapped her arms and responded. You've given me so much already.

"It's small, I promise." I told her as I pulled out the I-pod Nano. Her eyes lit of before she latched herself onto me. In one smooth motion, I situated her onto my lap. Her legs straddled me as we embraced in a tight hug.

"You spoil me too much, Boo." I could have sworn my heart skipped a beat at the newly found nickname. This only made me hold onto her tighter.

"Say that again." She picked her head up from the crook of my neck and gave me a questioning look. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"You spoil me too much?" I shook my head and smiled.

"Nah the other thing." I watched as she blushed a light shade of crimson before returning her head to its rightful place.

"Sorry it kind of slipped out." My hands weaved their way through her hair.

"I liked it. Please say it again, for me?" My mouth hovered against her ear. I spoke quietly so no one would hear, yet loud enough for Gabriella to. Her hot breath was felt on my neck sending shivered through my whole body.

"You really spoil me, Boo." I placed a kiss on her forehead, before looking over at my mother. Little did I realize, we drew quite a crowd. Many people were looking over at us the women with large smiles on their faces while their husbands rolled their eyes.

"Excuse me Miss, but you need to sit into your own seat. We can't take off unless buckle up." I looked up to find the flight attendant towering over us. Reluctantly, Gabriella and I broke away from our embrace. I helped Gabriella off of me and into her seat before buckling myself. Her new present was safely gripped in her hands as she went through the songs.

"I can't believe you did this for me." I smiled as she welled up with tears.

"Only for you, Babe. And for the record, I enjoy spoiling you, you deserve it." I said leaning my head against hers.

Tilting her chin, I captured her lips with mine. As we heard the planes engine come to life, Gabriella looked like a deer caught in headlights. Opening my arms, she settled herself in my warm embrace once again; hopefully where she would spend the rest of her life.

**I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. As always, send me your suggestions for next chapter, I love hearing them. Also, if you ever want to know where my progress is in the chapter I'm writing, check on my profile. The name and page I am on for that story will be there! Happy Passover and Happy Easter!**


	21. Chapter 21

The Silent Girl

**Troy's Pov:**

The plane engine roared to life as we began picking up speed. The seat belt light turned on causing Gabriella to almost jump out of her seat. She had a death grip on me as the lights in the cabin flickered before turning off. I kissed her forehead before holding her closer to me.

Looked at my parents, I found my mother gripping onto my fathers hand. Her other hand held a firm grip onto the arm rest. I felt the plane lift off the ground along with hearing a whimper escape from Gabriella's lips. The plane shook and rattled as it turned in the air, making it's way though the white puffy clouds.

I yawned, popping my ears in the process. Looking down, I found myself scared to death for Gabriella. Tears were spilling over her cheeks. Her eyes squeezed tightly shut and her arms gripped around me almost as if her life depended on it.

This was a bad idea, I knew it. I never should have invited her to come. It was so soon after her surgery. What was I thinking? That's just it. I wasn't thinking. I was only thinking about what I wanted – about what would make me happy. I knew that in order for me to be happy I had to make a selfish decision. I had to have her by my side. I needed her.

"I'm so sorry, Baby Girl." My voice broke as I spoke quietly into her curls. Over the noise of the plane and the whispering, I knew she couldn't hear me. I looked at my mom once more. Her eyes met mine for a short moment before I shook my head at her.

"This was a mistake." I caught my eye with some of the onlookers. They all had their eyes locked on me and my family. Almost as if we were on some soap opera on their TV's.

"Troy Alexander, look at me." In a second my eyes flickered back to my mothers'.

"Don't say that because it's not true. She is not in any pain. Do you understand me?" I shook my head in disagreement. Was she serious?

"Mom take a look at her. Those don't look like happy tears." She pulled the iPod earphones from her ears before turning in her seat. I wanted everyone just to disappear right now. I wanted all the watching eyes and listening ears to mind their own business for the duration of the plane ride. I wanted a moment between me and my family not my family and the rest of first class.

"Do you want to know what I see when I look at her? I see a scared and nervous girl who doesn't know what to do. I see a girl who is gripping onto you and looking to you for support." I looked down at Gabriella and moved a piece of hair out of her eyes. She leaned into my touch which caused butterflies to swirl in my stomach.

"How do you know she isn't in pain?" I didn't believe my mother. I needed Gabriella to tell me she wasn't in pain. I needed her conformation, not my moms. The lights in the cabin turned back on along with the air conditioning. I felt Gabriella press herself further into me, if that was even possible, when the captain announced that it was safe to use electronic devices.

"You gave her the pain medication. By now it has kicked in, trust me. Those pills are prescribed. They are not nonsense pills found in a pharmacy. The most she is feeling is confusing loud noises with physical pain. You need to be there for her Troy. She is depending on you. Who cares what everyone else on this plane is thinking. Don't let the people around you influence what you would normally do to comfort her. They are obsolete." I watched as she returned to listening to her iPod and closed her eyes.

I took one last look around the plane before unbuckling Gabriella's seatbelt. My mother was right; people didn't need to see the interaction between me and Gabriella. Un-wrapping my arms from around her, she looked up at me. My heart hurt to look back. Her eyes were completely bloodshot. She tried desperately to wipe her face free of tears.

"I…I'm so-sorry." She hiccupped. Her voice was low enough for only me to hear. Grabbing her face with both of my hands, I placed a kiss on her nose. Leaning over to her seat, I took Gabriella into my arms. She curled up on my lap almost instantly. Her arms wove around my neck as, in one smooth motion, I moved myself into the window seat.

I felt more comfortable in the secluded area. Only my parents could see us, which put me at ease. I'm sure it put Gabriella at ease as well. As gently as I could I sat her down on my lap facing me before putting her legs on either side of me. She held on tightly to me as I leaned back in the comfy chair.

"Don't you dare apologize to me. Haven't I already told you that before?" I moved her up so her head rested on my shoulder. She nodded her head before I wiped away her remaining tears. Her fingers reached up to my face and swiped my chin. I looked down and she retracted her fingers.

_I don't like this. My ears hurt. I didn't realize the plane was so loud._ And at that moment she signed to me; I felt as if I could cry.

"I promise you, when this is all over you and I will go someplace quiet. The house we have rented is very secluded." Gabriella nodded her head once more. Her eyes stayed locked on mine.

"What you're feeling right now, is shock. The medicine took care of your pain. All these new noises are just coming as a surprise to you." Looking to my left, I found an impatient flight attendant. I flashed her a smile. Most of the time when I'm with Gabriella the rest of the world seems to disappear.

"Your drink orders?" She asked for what probably was the eighth time. After ordering both Gabriella and I waters, I waited until she left before returning my eyes to Gabriella.

_Make it stop_. She signed to me; her hand movements becoming lazy. It was almost like she felt defeated. She had no reason to fight anymore because no one was helping her.

Kissing the top of her head, I reached down into her purse to retrieve the iPod nano. Putting the headphones into my ear, I brought the slim iPod to life before scrolling through the list of artist. My eyes landed on Taylor Swift. Playing the first song on her album, Fearless, I turned the volume down before pressing pause and removing the earphones.

Her face scrunched up as I went to put the earphones on her. Her lip soon turned white from biting it. Before I could register what was happening, I felt her body jerk back. She pushed my chest away with the palms of her hands. Sitting up, she immediately covered her ears.

"Oh dear." I heard my mother exclaim. Looking at her, I found her unbuckling her seatbelt before getting up to sit next to me.

"What happened?" My heart beat sped up as I watched Gabriella's face turn into a frown.

"Now that is a look of pain. Come here Sweetie." My mother patted the space in between us. Setting Gabriella down, I watched as my mother took her into her arms. Her hand went to Gabriella's head, running her fingers through her curls. Gabi buried her head into my mothers shoulder, both of her hands still secured on her ears. My heart felt like it dropped into my stomach. Everything around me was happening so fast. I didn't know what to do.

"Mom I didn't know. I thought it would be okay for her to listen to music." My mom soothingly rocked Gabriella and looked up at me. She shook her head and held out one of her hands. Handing the iPod to her, I watched silently as she pulled the cord from the small red mp3 player.

"Troy, Imagine if you had the same surgery she had yesterday. Imagine how sore your ears would be. All of a sudden someone starts moving them around trying to stick something else in them. Before she wears those, she needs to fully heal."

I instantly felt even worse than before. The day is just getting better and better, isn't it? How could I have been so stupid? What was I thinking? That's just is though; I wasn't thinking. The last thing I wanted to do was cause Gabriella even more pain.

"I didn't realize. God I feel horrible. Is she okay?" My voice came out exactly how I felt – hurt and broken. With the back of my hand I ran my knuckled over Gabriella's cheek.

"Do you need anything else?" I looked up at the flight attendant, taking the two bottles of water from her hands.

"Yes, can we have a set of headphones?" My mother looked up at the woman while I looked at my mom with a questioning look.

"You take her. My work here is done. She is fine, Troy. Don't be too hard on yourself. It was an accident." I offered a grateful look to my mother before taking Gabriella back into my arms. Taking the headphones, the flight attendant was handing me, I plugged them into the iPod.

"Come here, Baby Doll." Gabriella was hesitant to lean forward, which only caused me to feel worse. She flinched again as I gently put the headphones on her. Her face relaxed once they were in place.

"Does that hurt?" I asked her when I felt her lean against my chest.

_No, but not loud, Boo._ She signed to me. I didn't like the way she was acting. It wasn't right. It wasn't Gabriella.

Her face held not emotion and I hadn't heard her voice for a good hour. One of my hands went to her butt while the other secured itself on her back, drawing imaginary figures as the soothing music calmed her. I felt her hand tap against my chest to the beat of the music.

Kissing her head, I watched silently as her eyes became heavy. Her hand stopping tapping and flew up to my throat. Glancing at the song she was listening to, I noticed that a new song was about to start.

Waiting a few more seconds, I found myself humming to the tune of Fearless. Her body became limp, and her hand dropped from my chest. I listened to her even breaths for a few minutes before kissing her once more.

"What happened, Baby doll?" I whispered to myself more than her. She was really starting to worry me. I used to miss this part of out relationship how she would only talk in sign language to me. I now found myself missing her voice more than anything. It gave me the reassurance that everything was okay – that she was okay.

Her even breaths signified that she was finally sleeping. She finally got her moment of piece the first time today. And for a moment, I was at ease. I took a drink of my water before leaning back in my chair. For the rest of the ride, everything was good. The love of my life was at ease, and I was able to finally relax. My eyes closed and my hand stopped drawing imaginary figures on her back. I fell into a light sleep, with only one person in mind – Gabriella.

My peace was short lived. I woke up groggy to a flight attendant hovering over the two of us. "Sir, we are getting ready to land. We need everybody in their own seat." I nodded at her, acknowledging the fact that I understood. I waited until she left before carefully setting Gabriella in the empty seat next to me. After resting her head against my shoulder, I secured her seat belt. When the plane touched down, Gabriella woke up with a jump.

"It's okay. We made it." I told her as I stood up to collect our things. Holding out my hand, she gripped onto me as the four of us exited the plane. The baggage collection was another story, though. As the conveyer belt started up, a siren blared making Gabriella practically jump out of her skin.

"Nothing is going to hurt you, Baby Doll." I whispered in her ear. Looking over at my dad, I found that he was able to locate a luggage cart. Gabriella and I sat on a bench as we waited patiently for my father to collect the luggage.

Gabriella was getting worse by the second. She no longer acknowledged the fact that she heard me speaking. She was worrying me by the simplest of things.

**Gabriella's Pov: **

I was trying my best to keep everything together, but I was failing miserably. I didn't like the feeling that every little noise practically gave me a heart attack. Things were so much simpler when I couldn't hear. I didn't feel like myself. I was losing Gabriella.

On top of that, Troy is afraid to touch me. He is trying so hard not to cause me pain, which he doesn't know how much I secretly appreciate it. Sure there are slip ups now and then, but it isn't his fault – it's mine. I never should have gotten this stupid surgery. Troy and my mother were right. What made me think I needed to hear? Sure I was curious about people's voices, but if it meant going through all of this crap, I never would have gone through with it.

I stayed silent for the ride home. Troy and I were quiet as we unpacked our bags and put our clothes in the rented houses' dresser. To say it was beautiful here would be an understatement. The room Troy and I were staying in had room almost as big as my room and my moms put together. The bathroom was another story. Not only was it the size of my room, but also a Jacuzzi. The countertops were made of granite.

After finishing putting my clothes away, I grabbed my phone and walked out on the balcony.

"Babe, do you want to go to the beach?" I turned around, startled to find Troy behind me.

_I think I am going to go for a walk on the beach if that's okay._ I turned around and signed to him. His eyes got real dark, almost as if that cobalt color diminished. To me his eyes not looked gray – sad.

"I don't want you to be out there by yourself. I want to make sure your safe." He scanned the beach before putting his sunglasses on.

_You mean you're worried about all the people here? _I joked about the empty private beach we had._ Thank you for your concern, but I'll be fine. I am just going for a quick walk to call my mom. You can come out in ten minutes if you want. I just need some alone time. _I signed to him before going into the bathroom to change into my bikini.

"Gabi?" I heard Troy's hurt voice call me. I willed myself not to look back. I willed myself to pretend like his worried and hurt voice, didn't affect me. A tear slipped down my cheek at the thought of treating him like I was.

Before stepping outside I turned around. His face stared at mine. It held no emotion- no happiness. _Be Safe. _He signed to me. Slipping out the backdoor I was met with Hawaii's warm climate. My hair blew with the wind as I got closer to the ocean. I sat down on the soft sand, letting the waves come up to my ankles. Pulling out my cell phone, I dialed a familiar number

"Hi Mami." I let the tears flow freely, not being concerned about who was listening. I knew that I was the only person on the beach. In the back of my mind however, I know that Troy is watching me from the house.

"Mija, I'm so glad you called. You had me worried when hear from you. What's going on there, you don't sound too happy." With my free hand I gathered sand in my palm, letting it slowly run through my fingers.

"I don't know what to do Mami. I love hearing everyone's voice, but I can't do it anymore." I sniffled trying to catch my breath.

"Honey, I really think you need to give it more time. You just got the surgery yesterday. You probably aren't feeling too great. It takes time." I shook my head in disagreement. I made up my mind already.

"Mom you don't understand. Troy is afraid to touch me. Every time I flinch or wince, he takes it out on himself. He thinks it's his fault that I am hurting." I wiped my tears with the back of my wrist. Things were so much simpler before all of this happened. Most importantly, I was happy.

"Mija, what's really going on? Did something happen. What has gotten you so worked up? Did Troy do something? Are you homesick?" I sucked in another breath before speaking.

"I feel like I'm losing myself. It's like I'm not Gabriella. My whole life I have grown up on sign language. My whole that has been all I have ever known to do. I want to have both in my life, but that's impossible. You don't understand. With Troy, being deaf was romantic to me. It might sound crazy, but when he used to get my attention he would always run his knuckles along my face, or scratch my back. Now all he has to do is call my name from across the room." I trailed off into my own thought, letting my tears dissolve into the sand. My mom took a long pause before speaking.

"Gabriella, where's Troy?" Before I could answer the phone was taken right out of my hands. I gasped and looked up, but somehow relieved by what I saw.

"Hey Ms. Montez, can I have Gabriella call you back?" Getting up from my spot on the sand, I quickly wiped my tears away before, walking away. Troy's arm reached out and quickly grasped my upper arm, holding me back.

"I know, I'll talk to her." I said into the phone before slipping it into his pocket. Both of Troy's arms fell to his side as the two of us walked along the beach. The cool water ran over our feet as we walked further down.

"Why didn't you tell me how you were feeling or what you were thinking?" His voice was quiet and low.

I didn't dare look him in the eye in fear that if I did, I would run into his arms and fall apart. Then again maybe that's what I needed. I wrapped my arms around myself in attempts to give me a little comfort. I waited a good ten minutes before responding.

_How much did you hear?_ I signed to him. I knew I caught his eye with my waving hands. He let out a deep breath before putting his arm around my neck and pulling my close.

"Everything." I collapsed into his arms and for the first time that day, I let him comfort me as I broke apart in his strong hold.

**Sorry it took so long! Between school and friends, I hardly have anytime to write anymore. Please don't be afraid to give some input and ideas. I want to include what you like to see in the chapters. I hope you liked this one!**


	22. Chapter 22

Silent Girl

**Gabriella's Pov: **

I couldn't count the hours we had spent on that beach even if you asked me. The sun was long gone for a while now and the cool breeze of Hawaii started to settle in. We walked for what seemed like miles. Most of the time not a word was said, but during those few times where we had sorted out all of my problems, they were filled with mixed emotions.

I was still debating on what to do as far as having my cochlear implant being taken out. If I were to get it out I would never hear Troy's voice again, and that killed me. "What's going through your mind, Pretty Girl?" Troy asked me once we found a spot under a tree.

He sat down and pulled me between his legs. I leaned back into chest and felt his arms wrap around me. The warmth that he was given off felt good on my cool skin. His thumb grazed the bare skin on my stomach sending shivers throughout my body.

"Would you be upset with me if I reversed the procedure?" I spoke in a whisper, afraid that I would start crying again. Closing my eyes, I felt him place a kiss on my shoulder. His lips lingered there for a moment before he spoke.

"I will never be disappointed in you. This isn't my choice to make. I'll support you in whatever you choose." Nodding against his chest, I took a deep breath. His hands moved to my hips before gently squeezing them.

"I really tried with this, but I can't do it. I hate it. It's like I'm a different person." I shivered as a light breeze touched my vulnerable skin. Almost instantly I felt his legs lean up against mind. His arms encaged me in his own personal heat. I relaxed in his arms feeling the chill disappear.

"I think you need to think this out. Let's say somewhere down the road you decide you want to have a child. What happens then? I want you to be able to hear our child cry and speak his or her first words. I mean, yes, I guess you can always have this surgery again if you choose to change your mind, but to me I can't put you through what I am putting you through now. It is torture for me to watch you go through with this and know I can't really help you." I hadn't thought about half the things Troy has. He has given me a lot more things to consider and to tell you the truth, I had no idea what the answers were.

"You would want to have kids with a deaf person?" My voice was low and raspy. My feet dug into the sand before they disappeared beneath the small grains.

"No" My heart dropped into my stomach at his comment. It began to beat at least 200 times a minute. I struggled to get out of his embrace, but he held on tighter. The more I tried, the more he secured me to his chest.

"I want to have kids with Gabriella someday, though." Troy kissed my temple before moving a stray hair out of my face. I stayed silent as he went on, in fear that if I talked, I would break into a million little pieces.

"To me Gabriella, you aren't deaf. Not once did we ever have a problem communicating with each other. Somehow you and I both know exactly how the other is feeling. We are able to do things to the other person through touch that only the other person knows what is trying to be said. Remember that night on your hammock? I asked you what your favorite color was." I nodded against his chest and wiped a tear that was falling quickly down my face. "All you had to do was put you fingertips under my eyes and I understood. We have this secret form of communication that no one can break and I love that. I wanted you to get this surgery because if you didn't you would have been in question your whole life. I didn't want you to have to live with the what if's. At least now, you can say you tried. Either way, if you decide to keep it, get it later in the future, or even do without it at all, I will be happy with whatever you choose. Your child, if you choose to have one is going to love you no matter what. And I promise you we will make it work." By the time he was done speaking, tears were cascading down my cheeks. I turned around in his arms and wrapped my arms around his neck. I felt him kiss my head one more time before rubbing my back.

"Let's get you inside. It's late and you hardly have anything on. I don't want you getting sick your first day here." I guess I didn't realize how tired I was. I gave a yawn confirming his theory before I stood up. I was going to be just fine. Everything was going to work out with Troy by my side. I just knew it.

**Troy's Pov: **

We had strayed from the house farther than I had realized. By the time the house was insight, it must have been about 6:30, but from the jet lag, to us it was really about ten. We were both exhausted and could use some much needed sleep.

As we walked into the house, we were met with the aroma of a home cooked meal. It was then that I realized how hungry I was. I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast.

"Mom?" I closed the door behind me and wiped out feet on the mat not wanting to track sand in. Taking Gabriella's hand I led her into our room.

"In the kitchen, Baby. Come in when you're ready to eat." I followed my mom's voice to where she was.

"Smells good. What's for dinner?" I stretched my arms over my head before settling my hand over my stomach. Grabbing two plastic cups off the counter, I filled them up with water before setting them on the table.

"Your father made pasta. We're all jetlagged and I'm sure the last thing you want to do is eat a big meal. I think it's safe to say we are all ready for bed." I nodded my head before taking a seat next to my mother.

"Where is Gabriella?" I looked at my father nodded in the direction of our room.

"She's changing out of her suit. I'll go check on her." I told my father before getting up from my chair. My fingers ran through my tangled hair before they settled on the wooden door. I knocked gently before opening it.

As I looked at her I didn't know whether to laugh or feel sorry for her. She lay on the bed closest to the window. A pair of fresh clothes was clutched in her hand. She lay fast asleep on top of the covers. I debated whether or not to wake her. I hated to do it, but I knew she must have been hungry. One of my hands settled on her bare stomach while the other one was place next to her head, holding myself up.

"I know you're tired, Pretty Girl, but you have to wake up." I buried my head in the crook of her neck as I spoke. Inhaling, I smelled that sweet strawberry smell before placing a soft kiss on her neck. Taking the clothes from her grasp, I laid them to the side.

"What is it Troy?" I heard her faintly mumble before she turned on her side and curled herself up, facing me.

"I want you to eat something." I twirled a strand of her hair around my finger. Truth was, I would just sit there and lay with her forever. I wanted it to just be me and her – as if I didn't get enough one on one time with her this afternoon.

"I'm so tired, T." She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light before hiding her face into my chest. Sitting up, I grabbed her clothes and put them in my lap.

"I know you are Babe, but you really need to eat something, even if I bring it in here." As gentle as I could I sat her up. She gave a small whine of annoyance before opening her eyes.

"In here." She mumbled before closing her eyes. Her body leaned into mine, as she relaxed against me. She rested her head on my shoulder before her arms wrapped around my neck. My lips went to her shoulder as I picked up one of my wildcat t-shirts.

"You got to stay awake, Brie." I felt her tighten her arms before she buried her head into the crook of my neck. I pulled the strings to her black bikini top, letting it fall into my lap.

"I am awake." I chucked as she whined like a little kid. Slipping the t-shirt over her head, I couldn't help but roll my eyes when she made no attempt to unlock her arms. My hands moved to her waist.

"I can see how awake you are. Put your arms through." I joked as I lightly tickled her. She gave a small squeak before groaning.

"I set aside two plates for two." My heart skipped a beat as I heard the door open. Gabriella looked like a deer caught in headlights. She froze in anticipation.

"They are on the…" Neither of us had time to react. All I could think about was Gabriella. I pressed her unclothed self to my chest.

"Mom!" I shouted. She covered her mouth with her hand.

"Oh gosh!" I watched as she turned on the balls of her feet before walking out of the room and closing the door behind her. Letting out a big sigh, I turned to Gabriella.

"Well that should have woken you up, Sleeping Beauty." I gave a nervous chuckle before pulling her arms through her shirt. To say she was shocked would be an understatement.

Pulling her away from my body, I looked at her face. It was a mix between pure shock and embarrassment. I kissed her forehead before. She was at a loss for words. Her arms wrapped around herself before she looked down at her lap.

"She didn't see anything. It looked worse to her than it was. I'll go talk to her, Pretty Girl." Her hand caught my wrist as I went to stand up.

She shook her head. _Let me_, she signed as she took the sweatpants off the bed and slipped them over her bathing suit bottoms.

Watching her walk out of the room, I couldn't help but smile. I felt proud of her when she took charge like that. It has been a long time since I've seen her so strong. Come to think of it, she really only showed it in those times in class where I would watch from a far.

She knows how to stand her ground at the best of times. To me though, she has been through so much and that makes her much stronger than I will ever be. She has gone through things I couldn't even imagine. Next to my mother, she is the strongest women I will probably ever have the privilege of knowing.

As I waited for her to come back, I unpacked our both of our clothes into the dresser. After pulling the covers down on the bed, I took her bathing suit top and folded it before laying it on top of the dresser. Taking her make-up bag, hair products, feminine products, I put them in the bathroom along with my stuff. I changed into a pair of sweatpants and walked out of the bathroom just as Gabriella walked into the room.

I looked at her face for any sign of emotion. She smiled at me and let out a breath. It was then that I noticed her carrying two bowls of pasta. Taking them from her, I set them on the small bedside table before sitting on the bed. Pulling her onto my lap, she secured her arms around my neck.

"What happened?" I was eager to know just how much trouble I was in. My mother probably thought the worst.

"It really wasn't that bad. I caught her just before she went into her room. We sat at the kitchen table and she basically started the conversation. She started to apologize for walking in on us while we were engaging in such activities." She stopped to laugh before her face turned a light shade of crimson. Her face briefly hid in my chest before she began again.

"I immediately stopped her and told her I fell asleep before I changed out of my suit. You were just trying to wake me up and help me get changed." I made a mental note to have her change her bottoms.

"She went on in her motherly tone and said, 'I hope you gave him permission before he did that.'" I shook my head. Leave it to my mother to doubt the man she has brought up. Before she could go on, I interjected.

"You know I would never do that if I didn't think you were okay with it. I was only trying to make you more comfortable." I didn't ask her for her permission. Even though she was up, and didn't protest, I still felt a little guilty.

"I know. That's why I told her the truth. I told her what a kind person you are and how much you respect me." Lifting her chin with my thumb I placed a kiss on her lips.

"I don't know how to explain it, Troy, but I feel so comfortable with you. I trust you so much. I told you mother that. She nodded and said she understood before she shared something with me that brought tears to my eyes. She told me that is how she felt with her father. I know it's stupid but I hope that's us when we are their age. They have so much love in their relationship. Most couples lose that along the way." I held her closer to me feeling like I didn't want to let go.

"Gabriella, look at me. You are the best thing that happened to me. I love you." I said the last line with uncertainty. I knew I loved her, I just didn't know if it was too soon to say it. I didn't want to scare her off. She is much too important to me. She looked up at me, her eyes gleaming.

"I love you too, Wildcat." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, before sealing our new found love with a kiss. Both of us stayed silent for a few minutes, taking in all that has happened in the past hour.

"Go get ready for bed, ill put on the TV while we eat." I reluctantly let her out of my grasp. I placed the two bowls by my side before sitting against the headboard. It took me a few minutes before I settled on a station. I wasn't used to the channel difference. Hearing the bathroom door open my eyes traveled to Gabriella. Smiling, I patted the seat beside me, ushering her to come join me. I handed her the dinner bowl once she got comfortable. Her back leaned against my left arm. We ate in silence for the most part with small talk here and there.

"What are we doing tomorrow?" She asked as she took a sip from her water bottle. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Mom and Dad are going jet skiing I think. We can do whatever you want. There's shopping, we can lay on the beach, or take a walk. It's your call." I said, moving the pasta around in my bowl. I wasn't really hungry, but if I didn't eat I would be starving tonight.

"I'm sorry I'm keeping you from your family." I heard Gabriella say in a shy voice. Looking over at her I shook my head in disagreement before continuing to eat.

"What are you talking about?" Setting my fork down, I put my arm around her small frame. "You're missing out of family time because I can't go swimming for two weeks. If I wasn't here, you would be jet skiing with them."

"To be honest, I wouldn't be jet skiing with them. It's not my thing." I shook my head before getting off the bed. Taking both our bowls I walked out of the room. I hate the fact that she is feeling guilty. I never should have told her my parents were doing something different. Placing the bowls in the sink, I grabbed another water bottle along with her medicine before walking back to the room.

"You can't ski for your life." Gabriella smirked at me. It was a simple yet playful assumption. Taking a seat on the bed, I began to break the two pills into quarters before giving it to her.

"Shh, not important." I chuckled before walking into the bathroom to get ready for bed. "Do you need to go in?" I turned to face her. She shook her head before going back to watching her TV show. Tomorrow was going to be an adventure; that I was sure of.

**Gabriella's Pov: **

I lay wide awake staring at the empty bed waiting for Troy to return. It wasn't that I was nervous about sleeping in the same bed with him. This was just new to me. Hearing the door open, my eyes fixed on him as he walked towards the bed.

Turning on my other side, I watched as he pulled his t-shirt over his head revealing his toned abs. He smiled at me while running a hand through his messy hair. As he got into bed, I turned over again and faced the wall. I could feel him moving closer to my body. His heat was transferred onto me as he found a comfortable spot.

"Goodnight, Babe." Turning my head, I captured his lips with mine.

"Night. Love you." I loved how that phrase rolled off my tongue. It felt so natural to say.

"Love you too, Babe." We shared one last kiss before settling down.

I closed my eyes and waited patiently for sleep to overcome me. It didn't happen. The minutes passed, and I was still wide awake. Butterflies swirled in my stomach when I felt Troy's hand slip under my shirt. As he grazed my back with his fingertips, the hair on my arms began to stand up. The effect he had on me amazed me at times.

"Relax Babe, just close your eyes." Doing as I was told, I concentrated on the feelings he was putting upon me.

He gently scratched my back. I couldn't help but smile when he started to hum. I couldn't place my finger on the song, but I knew it sounded familiar. I had yet to learn all the Taylor Swift songs on my new iPod. I felt his hand travel to my right hip before his fingertips slipped underneath the waistband of my sweatpants. My lip quickly became white from biting it. He rested his hand on my hip bone before squeezing it gently. After the third song, he stopped humming.

"You uncomfortable? I could go in the other bed." I felt his hands travel up my back and I suddenly missed the contact he was giving me. Shaking my head, I opened my eyes.

"Please don't leave. I'm just having trouble settling. Go to sleep, Wildcat. I'm fine." I didn't want to keep him up because of me. I knew how tired he was, especially since he has been taking care of me all day.

"I'm not going to bed until you fall asleep. Come here, I want to try something." He took his hands off me altogether causing me to turn my head and look at him. It was then that I felt an emotion I wasn't too familiar with – need. I felt like I needed his hands on me. I needed his body close to mine.

Troy held his arms out. Taking my arms out from under the covers, I gave him a questioning look. As soon as he got the chance, he put his hands under my arms and lifted me on top of him.

"I'm going to crush you." My hands pushed against his chest in protest. How was this going to solve my problems?

"You mean with all this flab?" I stuck my tongue out as he pinched my side.

"Just trust me. Lay down." He coaxed me into a comfortable position. One of his arms went around my waist while the other secured my head to his throat.

"That's it, Babe. Just relax. It's just you and me. Close your eyes." Letting out a huff, I played along. My body settled down. My hands hung loosely over his arms.

And in a moment, things became serious. He began to hum again, only this time was different. Familiar soothing vibrations were replaced. In an instant my eyes became heavy.

"I love you." I mumbled before closing my eyes and succumbing to the outlet of peace I have become so used to over the past few weeks with Troy. I didn't get a chance to hear him respond, but you know what? It wasn't needed. Just by his actions – I knew he loved me too.

**I hope everyone had a happy holiday! I know this chapter may seem to not have a lot in it, but I really want to take my time with this story. I hate when writers rush through stories rather than taking to time to actually develop relationships between the characters. This chapter to me was very important because you see two different side of Gabriella. Suggestions for next chapter are always good. I would love to hear what you want to see. I already had some requests and I will be sure to put them in future chapters.**


End file.
